


Bittersweet and Strange

by ArtemisRayne



Category: Beauty and the Beast (1991), Beauty and the Beast - All Media Types, Haven - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Curse Breaking, Curses, F/M, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Supernatural - Freeform, Transformation, WWII, WWII-era, Werewolves, Work In Progress, maybe slightly OOC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-21
Updated: 2014-07-11
Packaged: 2018-01-25 23:04:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 44,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1665761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtemisRayne/pseuds/ArtemisRayne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Desperate to get his eighteen-year-old cousin Audrey Parker out of London during the height of the German Blitz, army medic Dwight Hendrickson heads north to find someone to house her. However he finds more than he was expecting in the mysterious Haven House. Audrey sets out to find him and finds herself trapped in the northern castle while Dwight struggles to find a way to free her with the help of American army volunteer Captain William Allred. </p><p>Meanwhile Audrey settles in with the residents of the cursed manor house and learns more about her secretive captor. The more she unravels about his past and the grounds of his curse, the more she discovers that there might be something worth staying for...</p><p>Beauty and the Beast with Haven characters and plenty of twists.</p><p>To see the era's and fashions that inspired this work, visit my pintrest board dedicated to this story: http://www.pinterest.com/bubblewrapkitty/bittersweet-and-strange-inspiration-board/</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Experimenting with this idea, let me know what you think of it.

**Prologue**

_Bellingham, Northumberland, England - July 1940_

The wooden cart jostled along on the dirt track that cut its way through the towering green forest. Conrad Brauer flicked the whip sharply in the air, and the noise urged the old mare to quicken her pace. Not bothering to be subtle, the older man glanced sideways down at his passenger. He was a wee wisp of a thing, couldn't be more than eight years old, and he was huddled down in his wool coat as he stared around at the unfamiliar landscape with wide eyes. The boy – the tag attached to the buttonhole of his jacket said his name was Henry – was supposedly some great-nephew of the woman whose house he tended, and he'd been evacuated to the countryside because of the war.

Conrad frowned distastefully. He wasn't looking forward to having a wee bairn around to look after. He was getting too far on in years to bother with the noisy things.

The mare snorted loudly and beside him, Henry jumped in alarm. Conrad chuckled. "Twitchy wee mouse, incha?" he remarked in amusement. The little thing didn't respond, simply gazing up at him with those bulbous eyes. Conrad mused that he looked a bit like a pale white frog. "Where you from 'gain, boy?"

Henry stared at him for so long Conrad thought he mightn't answer, and then he finally squeaked out, "Leeds, sir."

Conrad wrinkled his nose with disgust and didn't waste the energy in lowering his voice when he murmured, "City brat." He had never been fond of children, but he especially detested those from the cities. At least the ones who'd grown up in the country knew how to take care of themselves and their land. City brats were too soft, too cultured to be worth anything. "Don't 'spect none of that posh rubbish out here," he chided the boy. "None of them tellies or moving pictures. Out here we do things proper. Live off the land, we do."

"In this big ol' wood?" Henry asked and his voice quavering as he looked up at the enormous trees. Conrad reckoned he'd probably never seen 'em so big before.

"Deep in," he agreed proudly. "Wee li'l collection o' houses and farms in the forest, that's where we be stayin'."

"What about the bears? And the wolves and such?" Henry asked with pure, unmasked terror.

Conrad snorted. "Bears an' wolves the least your problems, boy," he said. At the horror-struck look on Henry's face, Conrad grinned and continued. "Ain't you neva heard about The Beast of Bellingham Wood?"

"The Beast?" Henry echoed, his pitchy voice barely above a whisper as if saying it louder might call the monster to them.

"Well sure, everyone 'round here knows 'bout the Beast," Conrad said with an affirming nod. "Story goes there's a monster what lives in one o' the ol' manor houses deep in these 'ere woods. Haven House, it is. Just a few miles from where we live. Says he used to be a man, once, long time ago, but his heart was so evil that the nature spirits turned him into a monster to match his soul. A wolf-man, bigger than any bear, with great big fangs and claws the size of your hand. But the eyes, he still got the eyes o' a man. An' now he prowls these woods at night looking for wee lost souls to gobble up."

On the bumpy bench, the little boy had cowered down inside of his coat until all Conrad could see was his enormous blue eyes and his forehead, which has bleached to a ghostly white. Conrad barked out a laugh and urged the mare on quicker again. "We'll be comin' up on that house 'ere soon, there look," he said and pointed ahead to where a second trail broke away from the road they were on.

It was hardly more than a dusty narrow walking track, barely wide enough for a small cart to travel down, and the trees were woven together over it like the entrance to a gaping tunnel. An unnatural darkness seemed to hover over the area as if night had fallen early there. Conrad wouldn't admit it to the kid, but the place had always made chills race up the back of his neck whenever he passed it.

"That's where the monster lives?" Henry asked and instinctively shrank closer to Conrad' side.

"Straight up there," Conrad concurred in a growl. He was having fun teasing the kid about the stupid old village story, but that didn't mean he wanted the kid curling up with him like a bleedin' cat. He had a perimeter about himself that he liked to maintain. He nudged the kid back to his proper spot with his elbow. "If you look up there when we pass, you can see a bit o' the house from 'ere."

The horse grew agitated as they reached the side path and she snorted, speeding up of her own accord for once. They hardly caught a glimpse of the house before the cart had passed, just enough to see a few dark, sinister details. The abandoned house was enormous and ancient, almost reminiscent of the castles that had once dotted the area, made of stones and wood so dark they were almost black. There were gargoyles on the towers and no life visible on the rolling green acres of land beyond the great black gate.

The house slid out of view as the cart rolled on and the boy let out a small squeak, huddling in on himself. "I don't want it to eat me," he muttered in fear.

"Then you keep an eye out, boyo," Conrad said. "You don't need to worry about no wolves or bears, but you see a great hulkin' beast with the eyes of a man – sad, angry eyes bluer 'an the sea, they say – you run for your bloody life."

"You think he's sad?" the boy asked curiously, his head tipping to the side like a dog.

"I never seen him, but that's what they say 'round the village," Conrad said with a shrug. He honestly didn't think anyone had really seen that monster, if it even existed. No one met up with a beast that big in the woods and lived to tell stories about it. "Old eyes full o' sad and pain and anger."

Henry had pulled the collar of his coat down slightly, looking as pensive as a wee little thing could, and then said, "I'll bet he's lonely. That's it. He pro'lly just wants mates, but no one will play with him 'cause he's scary looking." He looked up at Conrad with his eyes narrowed thoughtfully and asked, "Do you know how he can break the curse? The one the spirits put on him? Can't he turn back to normal?"

Conrad stared at the kid in awe and then chortled loudly. "This ain't no fairy tale, kid," he said, shaking his head. "Just a story 'bout a big beast that lives around here. It ain't lonely, and it ain't gonna be no-one's mate. It'll eat ya as soon as look at ya. There ain't no happy ever afters 'round here."

As the cart turned the curve of the road into their little village, the sun was just beginning to set, and the shadows had thickened on the trees. The lights from the cluster of houses and farms were the only things to break the settling darkness, and Conrad felt relieved to be home. He was stiff from sitting on the cart bench all day and wanted nothing more than a nice glass of brandy before bed.

The missus of the house, Marion, walked out to greet them as Conrad pulled the cart up beside the little manor, and he tipped his head at her respectfully. " 'Ere he is, ma'am," he said, lifting the boy down from the cart and setting him on the grassy patch in front of the house.

"Thank you, Conrad," she said with a small smile. "Come along – Henry, was it? – let's get you settled."

"And don' forget, boy," Conrad called after them with a gruff laugh. "Keep an eye out for The Beast, yeah?"

In the distance, a long, mournful howl split through the growing darkness.


	2. Chapter One

_London, England - September 1940_

It was midday, and the streets of east London were packed with people. Housewives were out doing their shopping and men in uniform patrolled the roads, occasionally stopping to flirt with the younger women that they passed. Despite the boarded windows and the perpetual grey haze that hung in the air, life continued to spin on in the downtrodden city.

Slipping out of the small flat she shared with her older cousin, Audrey Parker drew her coat tighter around her body to ward off the autumn chill. She locked up and then opened the book she carried tucked beneath her arm, finding the place where she'd left off. By the time she rounded the corner, her nose was buried in the pages and her mind was in a world far away.

The people of the neighbourhood knew well enough to steer out of her way as she walked the habitual path to work. Although the locals knew not to waste their breath, a few of the soldiers called out friendly greetings to her that went ignored.

"Don't feel bad, mate," the man in charge of the fruit stand said to a dejected looking young private. "She's a bit of an odd one. If she's got a book in her hands, can't nobody get her 'ttention."

"It's true," the woman buying apples chimed in. "One time I seen her walk out right in front of a truck. Didn't even notice. Good thing that driver was lookin' or poor Hendrickson would be all on his own."

The soldier smiled, his eyes not leaving the girl as she wound her way expertly through the crowd. "I'll just have to catch her without a book then," he said confidently.

The older two exchanged glances and laughed. "Good luck with that," the man said.

Audrey's mind was full of princesses and knights as she reached her destination. The bell above the bookshop door jingled brightly as she pushed it open with one hand, the other marking her place in the pages. "Mr Teagues, I'm here," she called into the quiet store, her voice echoing off through the rows of shelves.

"Ah, Audrey, lovely," came the reply. "They brought by another box of those pamphlets, would you mind putting them out?"

Audrey crossed to the desk tucked into the corner of the store and set down her worn book. Behind the counter was a little box filled with folded sheets of paper covered in bold prints. She couldn't help but frown as she read their headlines.

_**Bomb Shelter Necessities** _

_**When You Hear the Sirens...** _

_**Always Remember your Gas Mask!** _

It was not a good time to be in Britain.

Audrey took the stacks of papers and began arranging them in the little rack by the front desk that had previously housed the rare and unique books. Those, to her chagrin, had been banished to a shelf much farther back, safely tucked where they were less likely to be stolen. The hard times had left people desperate for the money to support their families. More than one place had been looted recently. She felt sure the only reason they'd been spared so far was that people undervalued books.

"Audrey, this war is going to put us out of business if it keeps up." Vince Teagues emerged from between the shelves, wiping his dusty hands on his trousers. He was a large man, with a tangled mane of steel grey hair and sad eyes. "No one's interested in books when there's a war on our doorstep. Haven't sold a single thing so far today. Only person who's stayed more than thirty seconds was that little council boy who delivered the pamphlets, and I reckon it was just to get out of the cold for a minute."

"Things will pick up," Audrey said reassuringly.

"At this rate, the only way we'll sell a thing is if we start printing some German dictionaries."

"Don't talk like that," she said indignantly.

"It's hard not to think it sometimes," Vince said, but his bitter anger had turned to resignation. "Nazis on our borders, bombs falling from the skies, and all our families ripped apart." Audrey put a comforting hand on his arm; his brother, considerably younger than Vince, had been deployed a year prior and letters were slow in coming. "I'm beginning to wonder if this madness will never end."

"We will win this," Audrey said certainly. Vince raised an eyebrow at her questioningly. "You've read the books. No matter how hard it gets, good always wins in the end."

The bookkeeper chuckled and squeezed her shoulder fondly. "Oh how would it be if we could all see the world through your eyes, love," he said with a smile. "We'd all be the better for it, surely." He sighed wearily and then shook his head. "If you'll watch the counter, I'll be back in the office. I need to balance the books and see if we're going to last another month. Call if you need me."

"Yes, sir," she chirped with a mock salute. She slid around to take a seat on the stool behind the front desk, and the moment her employer had vanished into his office, she retrieved her book, diving straight back into the adventure. The slow business might be bad for the shop, but it left her with plenty of time for reading, which was her favourite pastime in any case.

The hours passed by in a blur for Audrey as the sun crept down toward the horizon. She only withdrew from her book whenever the bell signalled that someone had come into the store. For the most part, people only browsed wistfully and then left, sometimes collecting a pamphlet on the way. Beatrice came in and bought an old copy of a Dickens' and then stayed to talk to her for a while, telling Audrey about the latest letter she'd received from her sons who were currently deployed somewhere on the south coast. Closer to sunset a pair of soldiers bought a cheap American novel, although they had seemed much more interested in her than the book. It took a long string of polite rejections and dismissals before they finally got the hint and left, forgetting the book they'd paid for on the counter.

She had only just gotten back into her book when suddenly a large hand covered the pages. "Hello there, darlin'."

Audrey bit back her exasperated sigh. Only one man interrupted her that rudely. And of course, his American drawl was very distinctive in the city. Putting on a neutral smile, she looked up. "Good day, Captain Allred."

The man across the desk from her was, without a doubt, very handsome. His short brown hair was trimmed close to the scalp, not drawing any attention away from his strong jaw or brow. He was tall and trim, and he cut an impressive figure in his Royal Air Force volunteers uniforms, a wool greatcoat hanging from his broad shoulders to his polished boots. His smile was disarming and his ice-blue eyes were dazzling.

The only downfall to Captain William Allred was his personality.

"How has your day been, sweetheart?" he asked, not removing his hand from her book as if he was afraid she would disappear into it if he let go.

"It's been fine," she answered diplomatically, although she wrinkled her nose at the pet name; she had told him countless times that she preferred to be called by her name, but somehow he never seemed to understand.

"So what do you say you come with me to the Last Chance tomorrow night?" he asked, propping his elbows on the counter and leaning forward into her space. "You know a lot of us are being shipped out the next morning. It'd be real sweet of ya to come and gimme a proper send-off."

Audrey resisted yet another sigh. He had been badgering her for days to be his date to the Last Chance Dance, where many of the men in town would be enjoying their last night in London before being sent into battle. Even though the Yankee volunteer hadn't been scheduled to ship off yet, he was making rather a big deal of the dance.

"Thank you for the offer, Captain, but I was going to stay in for the night," she said.

The Captain's smile flickered for the briefest moment. "Aw c'mon, you can spend one night away from those books," he cajoled. "I'd love to give you a spin 'round the dance floor. You can't deny we've got a connection."

"I was actually going to spend the night with my cousin," she lied. Well, it wasn't precisely a lie. She figured that she would most likely be spending the night in with her older cousin, her reading while he worked on his little inventions. It wasn't a definite plan, it was just the way they passed most evenings when Private Dwight Hendrickson was home.

"The giant?" the Captain teased. Audrey scowled, and he hastily stifled his laugh, back-pedalling. "Ol' Hendrickson is one of the boys, bring him along with you. Couldn't hurt to get him away from his machines and meet a lady, could it?"

Audrey opened her mouth to answer when suddenly a wail cut through the air. They both instinctively tensed. Warning sirens. There were Germans in the sky.

"Audrey!" Vince shouted for her from the back.

"C'mon, sweets," the Captain said, stepping past the counter and looping an arm around her waist. She barely had time to snatch up her book before he steered her forcefully toward the bookseller's frantic voice. They met him in a row of history books.

"Oh good, there you are," Vince said with relief, hardly acknowledging the soldier beside her. "Come on, into the shelter." He led them out of the back of the store and toward the chemist's shop two doors over, the closest place with a proper shelter.

"Damn bloody Nazis," the chemist, Robert Seddal, said by way of greeting when they slipped into the basement of his store. "Pardon the language, miss," he added as an afterthought, inclining his head to Audrey.

Giving him a soft smile - she'd heard people say much harsher things in the last few years - she sat down on an upturned crate. Across from her was a young woman who must have been in the shop when the sirens went off, and she was pacing a short line against the wall. The bookshop owner crossed over to talk to Mr Seddal in a hushed voice, looking grave.

To her great annoyance, the Captain flipped over a bucket and sat down beside her, far closer than she was comfortable with. Trying to escape him, she opened her book and scoured the pages for the place where she'd left off when the American had shown up in the shop. He was apparently having none of it as he leant back and wedged his arm between her shoulders and the wall.

"Why are you so fascinated by that thing, peach?" the Captain asked loudly in her ear.

"It's Audrey," she reminded him gently, but he ignored her and continued.

"There's plenty of people to talk to if you're bored, you don't need to hide in those books all the time," he said. "I know you're shy, and you're scared by everything that's going on, but it isn't that hard to get out and talk to people. The world's not as bad as it seems."

Audrey gave a humourless laugh and shook her head. "That's not the point at all," she explained as patiently as she could. "It's not about the people or anything that's happening. It's about being in a place that's not here for a while. About getting away from this boring life and having adventures. Like here is so – _provincial_. Everything is the same; sleeping, working, eating, hiding, fighting. When I read books, I get to be a part of adventures so much bigger than this stupid little city and this horrid war. Noble knights and warriors, magic and monsters, and the sort of love stories that never happen in real life. It's an escape."

The Captain regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, and she thought that maybe, just maybe, she had gotten through to him this time. And then, "That's what they make the picture films for."

"It's not the same," she said, a bit dejectedly. No one understood; they never did. Not even Mr Teagues understood completely. It wasn't that there wasn't enough going on out in the world for her. It was that she wasn't allowed to be a part of any of it. She wanted to be out there, experiencing things and making a difference in the world. She wanted to do so much more with her life than just being a shopgirl. She wanted an adventure.

"And if you wanted a little romance," the Captain went on with a cheeky grin, "then all you had to do was say so, doll. Cap'n Allred, at your service." He winked and tipped an over-dramatic salute at her.

Audrey fought the urge to roll her eyes and settled for shrugging his arm off her shoulders on the pretence of adjusting her coat. Unfortunately, he waited until she had stopped moving and then replaced his arm. There was a distant rumble and everyone in the cellar froze, waiting expectantly. Although none of them would say it, they were all thinking the same thing; would tonight be the night?

Audrey looked down at the book in her lap, not able to keep seeing the anxiety on the others' faces. She traced her fingers along the elaborate rose pattern that was pressed into the worn leather cover. The action always soothed her and it didn't fail her this time, letting her tune out the worry and fear and even the annoyance of the Captain's possessive arm across her back.

The building abruptly trembled around them, accompanied by a deafening blast. Bottles and jars rattled off the shelves and cracked on the ground. The pacing woman lost her footing and crumpled into a stack of boxes, and the Captain hastily shoved Audrey down, shielding her body with his own. They tensely rode out the series of concussive vibrations and it was several minutes of silence later before any of them dared move.

"Bloody hell, that was a bit close," Mr Seddal gasped out, brushing off the fine layer of dust that had drifted down from the trembling floor above them.

"What if dey comes back?" the other woman asked, her French accent thick, once she'd scrambled free from the piles of collapsed boxes. "Do you t’ink dey will hit 'ere again?"

No one knew how to answer the woman's frantic questions, so they stayed silent, waiting. Although they'd sat up again, the Captain didn't release his grip on Audrey and for once, she didn't mind. Those bombs had fallen awfully close, definitely somewhere in their neighbourhood. She couldn't help but wonder who had been caught below it. Which of the familiar faces might she never see again?

Another horrifying thought struck her at that moment that made her blood run cold. Where was her cousin? Was he still at work, safely on the base? Or was he at home in their flat? Had he been caught somewhere in between? Had he been caught in the blast? He was all she had left in the world. If anything happened to him...

A second set of blasts, further away than the last, made the walls shudder. The Frenchwoman on the other side of the room looked like she was on the verge of panic, her breath coming in short bursts as she clutched at a delicate chain around her throat. Audrey shook off the Captain's arm, ignoring his attempt to pull her back down, and walked cautiously over to the huddled woman. "What's your name?" she asked gently.

The woman's wide eyes surveyed her for a second before she answered. "Claire."

"Hello, Claire," Audrey said. "My name's Audrey. You mind if I sit with you?" Claire shook her head, her bright copper hair shimmering, and looked at her uncertainly. Audrey sat down on the floor beside her, tucking her worn blue dress in around her knees as she folded her legs beneath her. "Do you live around here?"

"Two streets away," Claire answered, still fidgeting.

"What about your family?" Audrey continued, trying to distract her from the noises outside.

" _Non famille_ ," Claire said, a bit flatly. "I come 'ere alone."

"I don't have much family either," Audrey said conversationally. "Just my cousin and I." Claire still looked terrified, so she changed the subject. "Do you like to read?"

"You do," Claire responded, finally glancing at her. "I 'eard you before, talking to 'im." She gestured vaguely at the Captain, who was watching them intently with his elbows resting on his knees.

"I love books," Audrey agreed enthusiastically. "This one here, it's my favourite. _Pride and Prejudice_ by Jane Austen. It's a romance, about not taking people at first impressions." She brushed her fingers over the embellished rose again. "My mother left it for me, she died when I was small, and this is all I have of hers. Do you have a favourite book?"

"I read a book, years ago. _Les Trois Mousquetaires_ ," Claire said fondly. "I liked it very much."

"The Musketeers? Oh, that's a good one," Audrey concurred. "The Musketeers were very brave. My favourite is Aramis. Which one is yours?"

They passed the time in companionable conversation, talking in depth about Dumas' Musketeer trilogy and Audrey suggested several more books she might like as well. Claire gradually relaxed as they talked, all of the nervousness leaving her except in the hand that was clutched near her throat.

"What is that you're holding?" Audrey asked during a lull in the conversation.

Claire hesitated awkwardly before opening her hand to reveal a golden six-point star on her palm. Suddenly her intense fear of the Germans, her sadness about having no family with her, all made sense. Audrey smiled at her comfortingly and said, "It's lovely. What about Shakespeare? Have you read any of him? Mr Teagues here has read every one of them. He's quite the expert."

"I wouldn't say expert, quite," the older man interjected, but he was beaming proudly.

"Oh rubbish," Audrey countered. "All those things you can recite from memory. That whole bit from _Romeo and Juliet_. Have you read _Romeo and Juliet_ , Claire? It's beautiful but so very sad."

Claire was smiling when she turned back to her, and Audrey didn't miss the gratitude in her eyes that she hadn't pushed the topic of her religion like she was sure so many people would in his climate. Audrey touched her forearm reassuringly and then prompted her into speaking again.

They had only just gotten going - Claire had admitted that she'd never read any Shakespeare's plays, so Mr Teagues had launched into explaining the plots of many of them, including several dramatic monologues - when another loud sound split the air. Instead of the fear from before, this one made everyone relax gratefully: the all-clear sirens.

"About time," the chemist said tersely, but beneath that, they could all detect the relief they shared at the welcome sound. Claire murmured a string of French that Audrey didn't completely understand, but her tone was enough for her to tell it was a thankful prayer. The Captain stood and offered a hand to her, and Audrey accepted his help up. They walked ahead of the others back up into the chemist's shop, where things had fallen off shelves and counters but appeared to be mostly intact, and then out into the street.

There were dense clouds of smoke in the air, making it difficult to breathe, and the orange glow of fires was reflecting off the underside of the dark skies. In the distance were the shouts of people who were tending to the destruction. Audrey mentally sighed in relief when she realised that the fire was in the opposite direction from their flat and the base where her cousin worked. He was most likely safe.

"All this mess to clean up," Mr Seddal muttered angrily, from the doorway of his store. "Gonna take all night to get this cleared up."

"Don't take too long," the Captain said, glancing at his watch. "It's almost curfew."

"I'll worry about me, Yankee boy, you just get the missus home safe," the surly Irishman responded and then he nodded a quick good-night to everyone else and disappeared back into the store.

"Good-night, Mr Teagues," Audrey said. "I'll be in early tomorrow to help tidy up the store." There was always some rearranging that had to be done after a bombing. And then she pivoted on her heel and, her thoughts hopeful, took off running for home.


	3. Chapter Two

"Audrey!"

Audrey had never been more excited to hear her cousin's voice. Through a gap in the small crowd of people who had dared venture out, she caught sight of his familiar towering figure, and a smile broke out across her face. "Dwight!"

"Oh, Audrey, thank God," Dwight Hendrickson said gratefully, and his relief showed on his hard-lined face. He was a titan next to his little cousin - or most people, really - and built in a way that befitted his nickname of Giant and made his army medic uniform snug over his muscles. His blonde hair was a bit longer than was perhaps proper, tied with a cord at the back of his neck, and although he looked stern, his smile was warm as he looked down at Audrey.

The cousins jogged the last few metres and met on the pavement. Audrey immediately threw her arms around his neck and Dwight hugged her back so hard her feet left the ground.

"I was so worried," he said breathlessly, and when he drew back, she could see a wild light in his eyes. "When I heard that bomb come down so close, I thought I'd lost you."

"I'm okay," she said reassuringly. Dwight had already lost his wife and young child to illness years ago, and she couldn't imagine the intense fear he had of losing her, the last piece of a family he had.

"Yes, you are," he agreed after giving her a quick once-over. He nodded as if trying to convince himself, and then frowned up at the smoky sky. "Come on, let's get home." Audrey slipped her arm through his, and he steered them back toward the flat, winding her way through the clusters of people who had come out to inspect the damage. Neither of them spoke again until they were safely shut up at home, and the lamps lit in the main room of their small flat.

Dwight sighed slowly and stroked his ponytail, a nervous tic he had had for as long as Audrey could remember. "Auds," he started, and the anxiety behind the pet name caught her focus. "I've got to get you out of this city."

"Dwight," she countered immediately. "I've told you before, I'm not leaving you."

"I'm being deployed," Dwight admitted in a rush.

Audrey stopped short, looking at her cousin in horror. "I thought they weren't going to ship you out," she said. "You're just supposed to stay here and take care of the ones who get brought home."

"The war isn't going well," he replied. "They need all of us that they can get. Those boys out there need me."

"Then I'm coming as well," Audrey said decisively. "I've learnt enough from you, I could be a nurse. I can come and help."

"No!" The ferocity of Dwight's response startled her into silence. His expression softened. "I can't have you out in that place. I won't be able to think straight with you in that sort of danger. You are all I have left, and that's why I have to keep you safe."

"And you're all I have," Audrey said passionately, and she felt the tears she was trying to hold back choking her, strangling her voice. "I don't want to lose you. You can't go."

"I have to," Dwight said, and his voice was thick as well. He sat down on the settee beside her and wrapped her in his arms. "I leave in a month. But before I go, I'm going to find a safe place for you to stay until this is all over. I have an aunt - well, great aunt - up in Northumberland. I'll start there."

"I don't want to go," Audrey said, feeling like a petulant child even as the words left her mouth. "London is my home."

"I know," her cousin said soothingly, stroking her back. "But it's just for now, I promise. I'm only supposed to be gone for a year, and then I'll come back and be with you again. And as soon as this war is over, we'll come home to London."

Audrey let out a defeated sob, crumpling into her cousin's chest. He held her until her tears had softened, and then tucked her into bed with a tender kiss on the brow. She fell asleep clinging to a stuffed rabbit that he had given to her as a child, one that still smelt like him; linen and machine oil and those cigarettes he'd always fancied back before rationing.

First thing in the morning, Audrey accompanied her cousin to the train station. It was nearly empty in the grey dawn light, with only a few threadbare stragglers and a handful of men in uniform on patrol. They lingered on the platform as they waited for the whistle of the train, and Dwight tugged on the end of his ponytail before speaking.

"I'll write to you every day," he said, and even his soft voice seemed unnaturally loud in the stifling quiet. "To let you know where I'm at. And as soon as I've got things sorted, I'll send for you." Audrey nodded glumly. "Keep yourself out of trouble while I'm gone," he continued. "And maybe enjoy yourself a bit, would you?" he added with a soft smile. "Visit with your friends, maybe go to one of those dances that American captain is always inviting you to."

Audrey fought the urge to wrinkle her nose at the suggestion, knowing her cousin meant well. "Dwight," she started and then winced at how hoarse she sounded. She cleared her throat but before she could say anything more the train's whistle split the air, a harsh shriek that made them both jump. "No," she whispered. He couldn't be leaving already.

"I've got to go, love," he said, his eyes trailing over the other passengers that were slipping through the train's open doors. "Take care of yourself, Auds. It'll only be a few days, a week at most, and then I'll see you again. Yeah?"

In response, she hugged her cousin again and clung to him. Even a mere week would be the longest she'd spent away from Dwight since her parents had passed and he had taken custody of her. The knowledge that the week apart would be followed by an entire year brought a whole new wave of tears to the surface of her aching eyes. "Hey now, shh," Dwight said comfortingly, but he was holding on just as tightly. "Just a few days, love, I promise. You can handle that."

"I'll miss you, Dwight," Audrey choked out.

"And I'll miss you, Audrey," he replied. "But you're a strong girl. A strong woman," he amended. "The strongest woman I've ever known. And we'll be all right."

The train whistled again, and the two reluctantly broke apart. Dwight drank in the sight of his little cousin's face, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, and then he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "A few days," he said, like a promise.

"A few days," she echoed with a weak smile.

The train groaned and then began to inch forward, and Dwight squeezed her hand one last time before jumping on board. He hung out of the door and called back through the smoke, "Goodbye, Audrey!"

"Goodbye," she shouted over the whine of the steel wheels. She raced along with the train until it reached the edge of the platform, and then stood waving until her cousin's figure had shrunk to nothing. Shivering, Audrey drew her kerchief from a pocket in her coat and dabbed at her itching eyes. For a few minutes she just stood there, staring out at the streak of smoke left behind by the train, and then finally she grew too cold and walked away from the platform.

The rest of the city was slowly coming to life as she made her way back toward the bookshop. People kept up as if nothing of great importance had happened the night before, apart from some broken rubble and a surplus of soldiers on the streets. Audrey surveyed the people around her curiously, wondering when everyone had grown so weather-beaten and melancholy, and then realised it was the first time she had walked to work without her nose buried in a book in ages. How had things gotten so miserable without her noticing?

She noticed that she was getting a lot of strange looks from the people she passed, some curious and some sympathetic. As she walked by the baker's shop, the woman called out an awkward, "You all right there, Miss Parker?"

"Fine, thank you, Rosemary," she said and offered her a weak smile. She returned it with a somewhat encouraging nod and then went back to arranging the sign in front of her shop. Audrey wrapped her coat more tightly around herself and kept her head lowered slightly as she finished her walk to the bookstore, not meeting any of the sad looks the people of the neighbourhood were giving her.

The bell jangled as she slipped inside the store and spotted Mr Teagues rearranging a stack of books on the shelf beside the desk that must have fallen during the air raid. He glanced over his shoulder with a smile on his face, but the moment his eyes landed on her expression switched instantly to concern. "Audrey, what's wrong?" he asked, dropping his armful of books on the counter and coming over to her. "Is your cousin all right?"

Audrey had wanted to be strong, but the moment her cousin was mentioned it all came out of her in a rush. She told her employer what Dwight had decided the night before and about his morning departure. When she reached the end, she drew out her handkerchief again to wipe her traitorous eyes.

"Oh Audrey," Vince said, his old face etched with sadness, and to her surprise, he quite suddenly drew her into an embrace. "You poor thing. I am going to miss you terribly. You're like a daughter to me, you know." Audrey smiled into his coat, breathing in the comforting scent of books. "But your cousin is right. This city isn't fit for a woman right now, not even one so brave as you."

"I wish I could just stay here, in the shop," Audrey admitted as she drew back from the older man's arms. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and looked around fondly at the leather- and cloth-bound tomes. "If we aren't safe in books, where are we? What if the new place doesn't have books?"

"It'll be an adventure, though," Mr Teagues pointed out with a knowing smile. "Just like you've always dreamt of, yeah?"

That brought a genuine smile to Audrey's face. "Not quite what I imagined," she said, "but it'll do for now."

"There's a brave girl," Mr Teagues said and chuckled. The bell above the door rang, and both of them looked over to see the same familiar Beatrice Mitchell entered the store.

"Mrs Mitchell, it's lovely to see you again," Audrey said, promptly shoving all of the sad feelings to the back of her mind. "Have you come for another book? Last night I thought of a lovely book you might enjoy." She showed the older woman deeper into the store, to a shelf of classics, and spent the next hour talking the older woman through a series of books. By the time Beatrice left, with no purchase for the day but a promise to be back the next morning, Audrey was feeling considerably better.

She could do this. She could be strong for them all.

Just before suppertime, when her shift at the shop was nearly finished, the Captain made another appearance. "Hello there, Mara," he greeted cheerfully. "You took off so fast last night I didn't even get to say goodnight."

"Sorry, William," Audrey said, half-sincerely. Obnoxious as he might be, she still had her manners after all. "I wanted to make sure my cousin was all right."

"Course you did," the Captain replied. "Anyway, I came by because the Last Chance is tonight, and I'd really love to take you."

Audrey had the dismissal on the tip of her tongue, but she hesitated. This was what her cousin had wanted for her, to go out and enjoy a night. Besides, this might be the last opportunity she had to spend time with the others from her neighbourhood before she was sent away up north. Her last chance for a proper London dance. So she swallowed back her first response and nodded.

"Thank you, I'd like that," she agreed.

William seemed momentarily gobsmacked, and then his grin broke out in full. "I knew you'd come around," he said enthusiastically. "All right, I'll come by 'round seven to escort you then." There was something slightly lecherous in his gaze as he eyed her one last time. "I'll see you tonight then, sweetheart."

And before she could remind him for the millionth time that her name was not Mara, he turned on the heel of his boots and marched out of the door with his head held high.

"A dance, eh?" Mr Teagues asked from where he had been organising one of the bookshelves. "Well, that sounds like fun."

"I hope so," Audrey said honestly. And she truly did. She hoped that every assumption she had made about the American captain was wrong and that she might genuinely enjoy her night. She wanted to believe in the goodness of people, even in dark times like these. And she really didn't want to face spending the night home alone without Dwight.

So when she left the shop an hour later, she went back to the flat and sought out one of her best dresses, tucked away in the back of her wardrobe. It had been a while since she'd had occasion to bring it out, and she'd almost forgotten how much she loved that shade of emerald green. She put on the soft cotton dress and curled her hair and even applied a bit of the lipstick her cousin had bought her once before realising she didn't care for such things. As she surveyed herself in the mirror, she felt a bit foolish, like a child playing dress-up, but she didn't have any more time to consider it before there was a knock at the door to her flat.

Donning a thick white cardigan, she hurried over and opened the door to find the frame filled with the Captain. He was dressed as usual in his uniform and greatcoat, his hat tucked in its typical place beneath his arm, although he seemed to have put an extra polish on his buttons and boots. He scanned her up and down a bit too deliberately and then flashed her a wide grin. "Well look at you, doll," he said appreciatively. "Aren't you a pretty little thing?"

Audrey felt her cheeks redden at his blatant staring and she smiled awkwardly. "Thank you," she replied. "You look nice as well."

"Always do," he said with a chuckle and winked. He put his hat on his head and tipped it at a jaunty angle, and then offered his arm. "How's about we go make the rest of London jealous, eh?" With a timid nod, Audrey looped her arm through his and allowed him to lead her to the dancehall, listening as he recounted stories of his various successes in training sessions and battles.

By the time they'd entered the room filled with energetic big band music and dozens of young couples spiralling across the dancefloor, the Captain had yet to talk about anything but himself. Audrey was starting to regret her decision to accompany him. He put a possessive arm around her waist, steered her to the centre of the hall, and swept her into a waltz without even letting her catch her breath.

"So doll, did I tell you about the time I took down those German fighter planes over the south coast?" the Captain asked, drawing her closer to his body than she was comfortable with. He didn't give her a chance to inform him that he had already recounted the story twice before barrelling on proudly.

Audrey sighed heavily. It was going to be a long night.


	4. Chapter Three

"That boorish, brainless... _ugh_!"

Audrey was raging, the long rant spewing out as she paced an agitated line in front of the bookshop desk. She had been quietly stewing until Mr Teagues had asked how her night out had gone.

"Surely it wasn't so bad," Mr Teagues suggested cautiously. It was rare to see Audrey angry; she had always been such an even-tempered girl.

"He was horrible," she replied. "I've never seen anyone so selfish and arrogant in my life. Rude and dismissive to everyone. You would think a volunteer soldier would have more class and compassion, but he's obviously just interested in the glory and the attention. And the way he speaks to women-" Audrey broke off with a disgusted noise, throwing her hands in the air for emphasis.

"He wasn't rude to you?" Mr Teagues interjected.

"Not outright," she countered with a huff. "But he tugged me around after him like a dog on a chain all night. He hardly even let me get a word in at all, and he chased off every other man who so much as looked at me. Not that it stopped him from eyeing up every lady that walked passed us, of course. I got no say in anything. It was like he thought he owned me."

"Well I'm sure he didn't mean it that way," Vince offered diplomatically. "He fancies you. I reckon he was just trying to show you that."

"Oh, undoubtedly," Audrey said sarcastically. "Do you know what he did when I told him where Dwight had gone? He asked me to marry him!" The older man's jaw fell open. "Not even properly either. He said that if I were looking for a place to live, he would marry me and send me back to America to live with his family. That he'd like to have a pretty little thing like me for a wife."

"Audrey, I don't think he meant it-"

"And there's that as well," she added. "He always calls me by those stupid pet names. I hate them, and I tell him that all the time but he _never_ listens."

Mr Teagues walked around the desk and placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her relentless fidgeting. "Breathe," he suggested gently. Audrey let out a heavy breath, the tension in her shoulders deflating. "Perhaps you should take the day off," he said. "Go home and relax for a bit."

"No, that's all right," she said quickly, thinking of the dismal, empty flat waiting for her at home. "I'd rather stay, really. Get my mind off it all."

"Very well," he agreed with a small nod. "Why don't you sort through those shelves in the back then, if you want to keep busy? I can watch the front desk." Even though he didn't say it, she caught the hidden meaning in the gesture. He was offering to run interference for her with the Captain.

"Thank you," she said gratefully. He smiled at her kindly, and she hurried off to the back of the store, hiding among the shelves. She spent the rest of the afternoon sorting through the rows of books, rearranging ones that had been misplaced by browsing customers. When she heard the Captain's distinctive drawl, she retreated to the back room as Vince fended off the American. While she was waiting, she pulled out her mother's book and settled in among the boxes to read.

Elizabeth Bennett was just rejecting the proposal from Mr Collins when the door to the storage room opened. "Ah, there you are," Mr Teagues said. Audrey blinked as she was pulled back to reality. " _Pride and Prejudice_ again?" the bookkeeper asked with a small laugh.

Audrey smiled as she closed the book in her lap. "It's my favourite book," she said. "I love the way Elizabeth and Mr Darcy hate each other at first, but then discover that there is so much more. You have these two different men, Wickham and Darcy, and you realise that they are exactly the opposite of what she thought at first. It's so beautiful."

"Do you think perhaps you've made a mistake about Captain Allred?" Mr Teagues asked, but there didn't seem to be much conviction in his voice.

"No, Captain Allred is more like George Wickham, undoubtedly," Audrey insisted. "He is beautiful and charming on the outside, and it deceives people, but beneath it is nothing but greed and ambition."

"Very well, Miss Bennet," Vince said with a cheeky grin. "I was just going to let you know that your gentleman suitor has left, so you are safe to come back out again. Although we are nearly through for the day now."

"Oh, of course," she agreed distractedly. Still carrying the aged book, she followed the shop owner back out to the front desk. After she had taken her usual place at the desk, he returned to the back office to finish the day's paperwork. It only took minutes before she was once again embroiled in the romantic affairs of the Bennet girls.

Audrey let herself into the quiet flat at the end of the evening - she had stayed late at the shop to avoid spending much time in the empty home - and slowly began unbuttoning her coat. She only got down two buttons before she spotted a small dingy envelope on the floor just inside of the door. A hopeful grin flashed across her face and she hastily stooped to pick it up. Her heart leapt when she recognised the familiar print on the front. Dwight.

Forgetting about taking off her coat, she dropped down onto the worn settee and tore open the top of the envelope. There was a small folded slip of paper inside, and she pulled it out and unfolded it, her eyes scanning the scratchy print eagerly.

_Dear Audrey,_

_I just got off the train here in Northumberland. The weather is much cooler here, but it's lovely and clear. I'm taking a quick chance to write this while I wait for a carriage that will take me to Wark where my great aunt lives. I should be there by nightfall. I will write again tomorrow when I've arranged everything with them._

Audrey ran her fingers over the wrinkled paper and smiled. It was short and hardly informative, but it was at least nice to know that he had arrived safely. At that moment, he was likely already settled in at his great aunt's house, enjoying a warm cuppa and waiting for her to come. The thought was comforting, and she smiled, hugging the letter to her chest.

She went to sleep that night with the letter resting open on her bedside table where she could see it and anticipation in her chest at the promise of another letter coming very soon.

The entire following day she found it difficult to concentrate. Even reading didn't provide the same comfort that it usually did, and she hardly made any progress in the book because she kept getting distracted by thoughts of her cousin. She didn't even put any thought into avoiding the Captain, which was how he managed to corner her at the desk in the early afternoon.

"Good day, princess," he said cheerfully as he marched in through the front door. "I missed you yesterday. Your boss told me you'd taken the day off, but you didn't answer your door when I went by."

Audrey smiled tightly. "I just needed some time alone," she said, not untruthfully.

"Yeah, I suppose it was quite the evening, wasn't it?" the Captain said with a roguish grin. "I sent a telegraph along to my mother and sister this morning, I'm sure they'll be delighted to meet you."

"Pardon?" Audrey asked in surprise, glancing up from disinterestedly examining the desktop. He couldn't possibly mean what she thought he meant...

"Well, it was only fair that I let them know you were coming before you arrive, wouldn't you say," he said nonchalantly. "Now, it'll take a few days before they can get the marriage license filled out, of course. But I've got a friend who can get you through the immigration quickly enough. You should be settled down in good ol' New York City within a month."

"I'm not marrying you," she said in surprise. William frowned. "I never said I'd marry you."

"Of course you did," he countered. "We talked about it at the dance. Don't worry about it, I know you're nervous, but you'll make a great wife. And once this war is over, we'll get settled into my house and start a proper family. You'll wear the best clothes and go to parties and the theatre. You won't have to read those boring books anymore to keep yourself going. And we'll have a whole mess of strong boys, just like me. A half dozen of 'em, at least."

"Well that sounds like it would be good for you, but that's just not the sort of life I want," she protested as gently as she could. "I wouldn't be suited for that kind of life. I just don't think I would be the right girl for you."

The Captain chuckled softly and gave her a patronising smile. "It's a shame you don't understand what a beautiful woman you are, peach," he said. "I know you might not believe it, but this is the life that a girl like you deserves."

"Oh, I hardly think I deserve a man like you, Captain," she replied, and he thankfully missed the hint of sarcasm that slipped into her words. This man was complete rubbish at taking hints. Floundering for any other way to shake him off, she added, "But really, I ought to write to my cousin first and let him know about all of this."

"Right, of course," the Captain agreed enthusiastically. "Wouldn't want to do anything without him here. Need the man of the house to give you away." He reached across the counter and took her hand in his, pressing a lingering, damp kiss to her knuckles. Then he flashed her a disarming wink and left the shop. Audrey waited until the door had shut behind him, and then she let out a loud groan, her head falling forward to land on the desktop with a dull thunk.

When the end of her shift at the shop came, she left in a hurry. Bundled up against the chill, she very nearly jogged in her haste to get home, and her cold fingers fumbled with the key to the flat. She shoved the door open and immediately saw the folded letter on the floor, where it had fallen when the postman had pushed it through the slot in the door. Grinning, she picked it up and broke the seal.

_Dear Audrey,_

_I arrived at my aunt's this morning. Things aren't looking well. Margaret is very ill, and they are moving closer to London so she can be near a good doctor. But she says there are more houses north of town that might be able to help us. I'll start checking there tomorrow. I'll write again tomorrow, surely I'll have found a place by then. I miss you, Auds._

Audrey stared at the letter uncertainly. Moving away to stay with some relatives that she hadn't seen since she was a small child was bad enough, but to live in the house of a complete stranger? Part of her was beginning to desperately hope that her cousin wouldn't be able to find a place for her before he had to return for his deployment. Then at least she would be able to stay in her home.

Unless the Captain had his way, at least. She wished she really could write to her cousin about the whole situation, but it wouldn't do any good. He would've moved on long before the letter reached him. And while she knew he meant well, she was half-worried that he would try to convince her to take the Captain's proposal just so she would be safe in America. Maybe going away up north really would be the better option.

None of it mattered now, though. For now, the only thing she could do was wait.


	5. Chapter Four

_Bellingham, Northumberland - That same morning_

Dwight Hendrickson pulled his ragged coat tighter around his body as he walked the long road through the forest north of Bellingham. He had spent an entire day asking around the city but had no luck. It seemed that most of the people who had room in their houses for guests had already been employed by the government to accommodate children. Near the end of the evening, someone had suggested that he try the next town north, a place called Hareshaw that was tucked away in the forest alongside the river.

He had set out first thing the following morning, after dropping off his latest letter to Audrey with the postman. It was chilly in the early morning air, and he was forced to make the trip at a walk since he hadn't been able to find anyone to give him a ride. As he'd walked, he had hoped that someone might drive by that he could hitch a ride from, but it was well past noon and he'd had no luck so far. It was starting to become a theme of his trip, having no luck. It had been such a disappointment to find out about his great-aunt Margaret's illness, both because he worried about her health and because he had so desperately hoped that they would be able to take Audrey in under their roof. Since then, it had been five days of trekking through towns and asking around for any chance that he would be able to find a place for his cousin.

At first, when the evacuations had started, he had been grateful that his little cousin was eighteen and had been considered too old to be sent away with the children. He didn't want to bear the idea of having her away from him. Since the death of his wife and daughter, Audrey had become his world, and he didn't want to be separated from her. That had all changed when the bombings had started.

Usually, she had been home with him when they hit, and he could at least be assured that she was safe. Then that night had come, when she had still been at the bookstore when the sirens went off. He had spent a terrified few hours in the bomb cellar that the people of his building shared, wondering where she was and if he would see her again. The bomb that fell into their neighbourhood was the most terrifying moment of his life.

He had been thinking about having her evacuated for the past week, ever since he had been told that he would be sent to the battlefield to tend the injured soldiers on the front lines. It was one thing to have her in the city while he was there to watch over her, but with him across the channel, his only concern was her safety. The bombing had only strengthened his resolve and by the time the all-clear siren had rung out through the city he had the plan settled in his mind.

Audrey had reacted exactly the way he had expected her to. She had her mother's spirit, and he had known that she wouldn't take to the idea of running away and hiding. He had been dreading the thought of her wanted to serve along with the other women since the moment she'd come of age. Part of him was afraid that she would sneak away to join them while he was gone, but he quelled that voice. She was a good girl, and she wouldn't lie to him like that.

It was getting late into the afternoon before he heard a cart rumbling up the road behind him and he stepped over to the side of the road, waving down the driver. The cart came to a slow stop beside him, and Dwight walked up to the bench at the front. "I don't suppose you could offer me a ride, could you?" he asked.

The older woman on the bench smiled and patted the spot beside her. "Where are you headed?"

"A place called Hareshaw," Dwight said, climbing into the cart and sitting down. "Do you know where that is?"

"Oh yes, you're not too far now," the woman replied. "I'm heading further north, but I can leave you where the road branches off for the town, if you'd like. It's a short walk from there into the town."

"Thank you, I appreciate it," Dwight said gratefully, stretching out his tired legs. The woman flicked the reins, and the donkey in front of the cart started moving again with an annoyed snort. "I've been walking since Bellingham."

The woman glanced at him in surprise. "That far? You poor thing. So why are you heading to Hareshaw?"

Dwight tugged at his ponytail uneasily. "I'm up from London, and I'm trying to find someone who will house my cousin to get her away from the bombings. She's eighteen, you see, so the council said she was too old to evacuate with the other children."

"It's so sad, all those children being sent away from their homes," the woman said, tsk-ing and shaking her head sadly. "I've got three little ones staying with my husband and me, the oldest one's only eleven. The poor little doves were so scared when they came to me."

The woman continued to prattle away about the three little siblings who were housed with her as the cart rolled down the road. Dwight was only half-listening as they rode on, taking advantage of the ride to give his sore muscles a break. He was a medic, not a soldier. At least not anymore.

He spotted a narrow road branching off theirs and he sat up expectantly, but the older woman didn't slow the cart. "Wasn't that it there?" he asked in confusion.

"No, Hareshaw is a bit further on," she said. He noticed that as she glanced over at the side road, there was a frown on her face. "That leads up to the old Haven House that belonged to the Wuornoses. They owned all of the lands up here once. The house is abandoned now, I think. At least we haven't heard any word from the family in ages."

They rode on in silence for another half hour, and then another road appeared off to the other side, much wider than the first. The older woman slowed the cart as they reached the road. "Good luck," she said as he adjusted the bag on his shoulder.

"Thank you for the ride," he said. As soon as the cart stopped, he stood and jumped down to the road. He tossed a wave to her over his shoulder as he started toward the town, which was already visible from the beginning of the roadway.

The next few hours were a monotonous blur; he walked up and down the streets of the secluded little town, talking to everyone that he could, but no one seemed to be of much help. Some told him that they had already taken on wards, some made obvious excuses, but by the time he had finished he still hadn't found anyone who was willing to take in Audrey, even when he offered a decent sum in compensation. The air had grown thick and cold, and the sky had filled with dark, roiling clouds. He wouldn't have much time to find a place for the night before the storm set in.

He walked briskly to the last remaining house, a small manor set off from the road slightly and surrounded by flowering bushes. There was a stable-house beside it, the front doors opened to reveal a cart and a row of stall doors. Parked on the lawn was a waggon that seemed to have had better days, most of its left side crushed apart. A man, a good decade older than Dwight himself, was dressed in a thick coat and hammering away at the frame of the stable's double-doors. "Pardon me?" Dwight shouted as he jogged up the dirt path toward him.

There was a particularly loud bang and the man let out a stream of curses. He turned around and stood just as Dwight reached him, and the other man had a fierce scowl on his face. "Wha'cho want, then?" he asked in a rough Scots brogue, cradling one hand to his chest.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Dwight said quickly. "You alright, mate?"

"Wha'cho want?" the man repeated tersely.

"I just wanted to speak to the owner of the house. I live in London with my cousin, and I'm hoping to find someone who will let her come stay with them so I can get her out of the city," Dwight explained for the millionth time.

"We don't have room here," the man said. "Already got a city kid staying 'round and wreckin' everythin'."

"But this house is so large," Dwight pleaded. "The government won't evacuate her because she's eighteen, but I can't stand leaving her in the city with all of the bombings. And now I'm being deployed, and she's got no other family/ I don't want to leave her all on her own. Please, she's a good girl, real smart, and she can help you out around the house."

The man shook his head, brandishing the hammer he'd been using dismissively. "No, I'm not havin' anymore you city types around 'ere," he said.

"Please, sir-" Dwight started up, but the other man cuts him off.

"You wanna find someone who can 'fford to take on 'nother person, you go up the road and try Haven House," the man told him. "Got tonnes of rooms and money."

"Isn't that place abandoned?" Dwight asked, recognising the name that the woman on the cart had said.

"Nah, just keeps to 'imself, I think," the man said. "There's been horses up there, and I've seen lights up there sometimes. If you head out now, you can pro'lly get there 'fore the rain starts." With that the man tipped his hat and walked into the house, ignoring Dwight's shout after him.

With nothing else to do, Dwight headed back toward the centre of town. He remembered passing the Haven House on his way to Hareshaw, and he thought that he could make it there within the hour. If he were lucky, the rain would hold out long enough for him to make it there. It was worth a shot, and if it didn't work, then he'd move on in the morning.

Dwight stopped at the postman's shop and slipped inside. He pulled a piece of paper from the pad in his bag and borrowed a pen from the postman to write out a quick letter to Audrey. Once the letter had been sealed in an envelope and handed over to the postman, to be sent out with the postcart in the morning, he headed out of town the same way he'd come in.

He reached the road that led to Haven House just as the sun set and the clouds decided to open up. Dwight pulled his coat up around his ears and stayed close to the treeline in a vain attempt to keep dry, aided slightly by the tunnel-like weave of the branches overhead. The manor house was only just visible from the main road, a hulking Gothic masterpiece with sharp turrets and snarling gargoyles on the parapets. It was beautiful, in the same haunted and menacing way as a cemetery.

The massive iron gate at the entrance to the property was propped partially open, wide enough for Dwight to slip through. Rolling acres of lush grass that came up to Dwight's knees swept up toward the house, and overgrown gardens edged the entire left side of the building, smothering the stone walls that were built to contain them. It was hard to make out details in the shadows that had fallen over everything beneath the cover of the clouds, but it also made it possible to see the faint glow of firelight coming from one of the lower windows. The other man had been right: someone lived there.

Even though he ran, Dwight was soaked through and shivering by the time he reached the front doors of the massive house. He huddled beneath the small shelter provided by the ornate doorframe and hammered on the giant oak doors hopefully. No one answered, so he shouted, "Hello," and pounded harder. Several minutes later, he was just beginning to think that perhaps there was no one inside and the firelight had been a trick of his mind when one of the doors slowly swung inward with an ominous creak. He peered through the doorway but there was no one filling the opening.

"Hello?" Dwight called out cautiously and stepped inside. Beyond the door was a cavernous entrance hall of polished marble and sweeping, double staircases that led to the higher floors. Tapestries adorned the walls, holes worn in the intricate needlework by time and nature, and the remaining spaces were filled with paintings whose canvases were so heavily coated with dust that their subjects were inscrutable. A door stood open on the other end of the hall, and a soft, orange glow was seeping out across the floor in a fan shape. "Is anyone here?" Dwight shouted.

There was a soft, scuffling sound from the room but no one answered. Had an animal wandered into the house? Shifting his bag around behind his back to free up his hands just in case, Dwight headed toward the room tentatively. As he got closer, he heard the gentle flickering of a fire and the air warmed around him. Freezing cold by this point, Dwight hurried the last few steps to the door and pushed it open. The room was a small, comfortable sitting room, with a semi-circle of plush armchairs and settees around a large fireplace. Waves of heated air swept over him and Dwight couldn't contain himself any longer. He raced over to the kneel beside the mantle, holding his hands out above the flames and rubbing his icy fingers together.

"You shouldn't have come in, Sasquatch."

Dwight spun around on his knees so quickly he nearly slipped back into the fireplace. His eyes flicked around the room but he didn't spot anyone. "Who's there?" he asked, standing up and clenching his fists defensively. "Show yourself."

"Didn't mean to scare you," the voice, a smooth bass with a cocky lilt, spoke up again. Dwight couldn't be sure, but it seemed to be coming from the cluster of shadows in the corner behind the door. "But you'd better make yourself comfortable; you're stuck here now."

"What do you mean?" Dwight pressed. "Please, I didn't mean to trespass, but I need help."

"Well you won't get any here," the voice said. There was a faint shifting in the shadows and Dwight narrowed his eyes, trying to pick out the figure. "If I were you, I'd hide. He won't like you being here."

"I don't like talking to thin air," Dwight said, and he took several steps toward the corner where he'd seen the movement. He stopped when his eyes adjusted to the dim light, and he made out a faint glow along with the silhouette of a figure.

"Alright," the voice said, and Dwight could see him lifting his hands out to the side. "Easy there, big guy." He stepped forward into the glow of the firelight and Dwight flinched in surprise. "You see now; this place isn't normal. And I'm the least freaky. You should hide before he hears you. Hurry."

"What-?" The words fell into silence as the doors to the room suddenly slammed open and were filled with a figure that made Dwight stagger backwards. "Oh God."

"What are you doing here?" The menacing roar shook the room and Dwight, brave as he was, couldn't help but jump. "Why are you in my house?"

"Please, I was just looking for help," Dwight stammered. "I'm sorry, but the storm-" The other man snarled. "I'm sorry, I'll leave, I didn't-"

"You wanted shelter, you're stuck now," the figure said, baring inch-long fangs. Lit from below by the smouldering fire, it was like staring up into the face of a monster. Dwight was grabbed by the throat and hauled to his feet - an impressive feat considering his size - and brought face-to-face with the horror. "You shouldn't have come to this house."

And then the beast shoved him away roughly. Dwight's leg clipped a table and he tumbled backwards. His head hit the mantle and in a flash of white, the world disappeared.


	6. Chapter Five

_London, England - Ten Days Later_

In the wake of her cousin's departure, Audrey's life quickly fell into a new rhythm. First thing in the morning, she would go to the bookstore and help Mr Teagues to open the shop. Through the morning she would watch the front desk and assist the few customers who wandered in. In the early afternoon, one of her regular visitors would come by, whether it was Beatrice Mitchell or the Frenchwoman, Claire Callahan.

After they left, Audrey would spend the second half of the day in the back rooms, sorting through old books and paperwork. This was both because Mr Teagues felt guilty that she was working so many hours at the same position and also because it gave her a chance to avoid the Captain and his continued advances. When the bookshop closed for the night, Audrey would head home and eagerly find the letter from her cousin, which she would read before going to bed.

The absences of Dwight had left a dull ache in her chest. She spent as little time in their flat as possible to avoid the emptiness and the silence. Audrey had spent little time alone in her life, and, especially since her parents' death, she had never gone more than a day or two away from her cousin and his family. The daily letters from Dwight had become a comfort and solace, a small connection to the little bit of family she had left. Although the news was never good, her cousin continued to sound optimistic. She kept all of the short letters tucked into her mother's old book and re-read them all every night, comforted by their familiarity.

"Audrey, _es tu bien_?" Claire's curious question made her look up, startled out of her musing. "You look sad," she continued quietly.

"I miss my cousin," Audrey admitted. "And I'm worried about him. I haven't gotten a letter in almost a week, and he promised he would write every day. And he's supposed to be back soon, he's being deployed in just a few days."

"Maybe 'e is busy?" Claire offered. "Maybe 'e is finding an 'ouse and 'e does not 'ave time to write. Or maybe 'e is on 'is way 'ome now, _oui_?"

"Maybe," Audrey agreed half-heartedly, not even convincing to her own ears.

Claire sighed sadly as she glanced up at the clock. "I 'ave to go, I will be late," she said. "You will see _ton frere_ tonight, _oui_ , you see. And you stay 'ere in the city, and I will keep you safe. We keep each other safe."

Audrey smiled, reaching out to squeeze the Frenchwoman's hand fondly. "That sounds wonderful," she said. "Have a good day, Claire."

" _Au revoir, mon amie_ ," she returned before slipping out of the shop doors on her way back to the warehouse now that her lunchbreak had ended. Audrey had grown to be fast friends with the French immigrant in the time since they had met, confiding in each other the truths they dared tell no one else. Audrey had confessed her desire to travel and to have grand adventures, as well as her crippling fear of being separated from her cousin.

In return, Claire had told her about her escape from France, how her parents had been taken to an internment camp for the golden stars around their necks, and how she had gotten a letter from her brother telling her to flee to Britain and they would meet again there. It had been six months, and she had gotten no word from her brother since. Odds were the older Callahan had not managed to evade the German armies, a fact they both knew but never spoke aloud.

Slumping on the stool behind the counter, she opened her book and pulled out her cousin's last letter, post-dated a week prior.

_Dear Audrey,_

_There are such isolated, beautiful villages here in the north. I think you might like them. Today I'm in a place called Haresaw, completely surrounded by trees. There are already lots of children in the houses. A man pointed me toward a manor house just east of town. I'll go there once I've sent this. I have a good feeling about it._

_I miss you and I'll see you soon._

A week had passed since that letter had arrived and she still hadn't heard anything from him. She wanted to convince herself that the letters had simply been delayed, that perhaps the isolated towns only shipped out their mail every few days, but she couldn't get rid of the anxiety that had knotted in her stomach. Something was wrong, and with each day the feeling only got worse.

"Audrey." Vince's voice startled Audrey, and she hastily folded her cousin's letter again. He gave her a kind, reassuring smile. "I'm going to start locking up the store. I told you this morning," he added at her confused glance. "Peggy isn't feeling well, and I said I'd go over to take care of her."

"Oh yes, of course," she said quickly, remembering that Vince was caring for his younger brother's family while he was deployed. Audrey tucked the letter away with the others in the back of her book and stood up. "Sorry, I was distracted."

"Your cousin," the bookshop owner said and it wasn't a question. "You still haven't heard anything from him?" Audrey sighed and shook her head. Mr Teagues gave her a sad smile and gripped her shoulder affectionately. "Don't worry, dove, he's probably on his way home already."

"Yeah, maybe," Audrey agreed the same way she had when Claire had suggested the same thing. "Well, give Peggy my best. I hope she is feeling better in the morning. I'll see you tomorrow." She could tell that Mr Teagues wanted to say more, but she smiled as brightly as she could manage and then walked out of the front of the shop. As she headed for home, she wrapped her cardigan tighter around herself, her mind far away with her cousin in the northern forests. What could have happened to him to stop him from writing to her? Had he run out of money already? Had he gotten into trouble? Was he ill? Worse?

No, she refused to let herself think that.

A hand landed on her shoulder and Audrey nearly jumped out of her skin, spinning around in a panic from her would-be attacker. "Easy there, doll," William said, holding up his hands in mock-surrender. Audrey let out a heavy breath, placing a hand on her racing heart. "Didn't mean to scare you. What are you doing out of work so early? Did that shop finally close down?"

Audrey frowned. "No, we closed early."

The Captain nodded but he didn't seem too pleased by the news. "I was wonderin' what was going on with that place," he said. "Seems like every time I've come to see you lately he's had you off on some errand."

"We've had a busy week," she lied and then turned and started walking home again.

"I was actually just on my way to find you," the Captain responded, falling into step beside her and setting a hand in the small of her back. "What did your cousin say about us getting married?"

"I haven't heard back from him yet," Audrey said, grimacing anxiously. She wasn't about to tell the Captain that she hadn't sent a letter to him at all since she had no address at which to reach him.

"Well he had better hurry," the Captain said. "He's set to deploy in just a few days."

"I know," she said. Honestly, that thought hadn't been far from her mind since he had left, and it only made things worse. Even if she did hear back from him in the next few days, the odds were that she wouldn't actually get a chance to see him before he had to leave. The next time she would see him was not for another year when he returned from battle. If he returned... No, she couldn't think like that either.

"I think he's on his way home now, and that's why he hasn't written," she finished, adding on the same hopeful lie that everyone else had offered to her.

"Of course he is," the Captain agreed immediately, his enthusiasm skyrocketing again. "No doubt he hopped on a train the minute he got your letter. I have the marriage license ready and waiting for us, so as soon as he gets back into town, we can be married. Then you can be on a plane to America at the same time that he ships off. You'll love it in New York, darlin'. A pretty girl like you will have the time of your life in such a lively place, and my sister is just a bit younger than you. You'll love her."

Audrey couldn't argue that New York City sounded like a wonderful place, and she wanted to visit it so badly, but not under these circumstances. And she highly doubted that anyone related to Captain Allred could be pleasant. "I guess I should spend the afternoon packing up my things then," she said, trying to fake excitement. Her mind was already racing miles ahead of her, far away from their conversation.

"There's a good girl," the Captain said cheerfully, using the arm on her waist to give her an awkward, sideways squeeze. "And I'll come by after the end of my shift, and we can get everything else sorted."

The Captain escorted her the rest of the way back to her flat, his hand firmly planted in the small of her back. He talked the whole time and thankfully didn't care that she hardly responded, content to just talk at her after everything that came to his mind. Audrey meanwhile was making plans of her own, completely separate from the wedding plans that the Captain was making. She was surprised when they stopped in front of the door to her flat.

"I've got to head back to the base, but I'll see you tonight," the Captain said, turning her to face him. Before she had time to process what was happening, he had leant in and pressed a kiss right at the corner of her mouth. When he straightened up, he grinned and winked roguishly, and then with a quick, " 'Til tonight, darlin'," he turned on his heel and walked out of the building.

For a few minutes, Audrey just stood in front of the door, trying to process what had happened. Had he really-? He had already jumped to the conclusion that they would be married, despite her telling him otherwise, and now he was already planning their wedding and had the audacity to try and kiss her. Audrey shuddered and turned, letting herself into the flat.

Without wasting any time, she headed straight to her bedroom and pulled out her small travel bag. She folded a change of clothes into the bottom and set her toiletries, her battered book, her little stationary set, and a prepared package of food on top of them. Then she slipped into her cousin's room and opened the drawer on his bedside table, where he'd left the stack of pound notes that would buy her a train ticket north once he'd found a place for her. She tucked them into the top of the bag, donned her warmest coat and sturdiest shoes, and took one last look around the flat.

She was done sitting around and waiting. Something was wrong with her cousin and she was going to find out what it was. She wasn't going to simply sit around and wait for things to work themselves out.

Picking up the bag, she locked up the flat behind her, well aware that it might be the last time she saw it for months. She squared her shoulders and then left the building, heading straight for the train station. She had the name of the last place her cousin had been, the small town called Haresaw, and he had told her where he'd be going next. She was going to follow his trail until she found him, no matter how long it took.

A handful of soldiers patrolling the train station eyed her curiously as she walked up to the counter and purchased a ticket to Bellingham, the closest station to her destination. "Leaves at two o'clock, miss," the man behind the counter said. Audrey nodded gratefully and then walked over to an empty bench on the platform. There was less than an hour until the train was set to depart, and she had one last thing she wanted to do before she left. She pulled out a piece of paper and her pen, using her book as a writing surface.

_Dear Mr Teagues,_

_I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to find my cousin. I know there's something wrong and I can't just wait around anymore. I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye. As soon as I find him and get settled, I'll write you again to let you know. Thank you for everything._

She stared at the short paragraph for a long time, trying to think if there was anything else she should add. It felt inadequate, sending him a short note in exchange for everything that he had done for her, especially since her cousin had left, but she didn't have the time for anything better. She couldn't wait another day. With a sigh, she signed the bottom and then folded the letter into an envelope. She hastily scrawled the address of the bookshop on the front and then stood up and approached the group of soldiers who had been staring at her.

"Hello there, miss," a tall, brunet man said, stepping forward from his friends and grinning. "There something I can do for you?"

"Actually yes, if you wouldn't mind," she said. She didn't appreciate the way he was looking at her, but she needed the help. "I need this letter delivered, but I won't have the time to get there and back before my train boards. I don't reckon one of you could take it for me?"

The man cocked his head to the side and eyed her up and down, in a way oddly reminiscent of the Captain. "Well sure, I suppose I could do that," he said, mock pensive. "But you know, if I'm doin' a favour for you, it's only fair that you return it, don't you think?"

"I have a bit of money, I can pay," she said, reaching for her bag. She really didn't like the look he was giving her.

"Nah, money doesn't do me any good," he said and shrugged. "You know what I'd really like? How 'bout a little kiss?"

Audrey stepped back, scowling, and had just rared herself up to shout at him when one of his companions pushed forward, a thin, light brunet man with a sweet smile. "Leave her alone, you ponce," the second man said, elbowing his friend hard in the side. "Having to snog your ugly face isn't worth it, Brody." As the other men laughed at the first's expense, the second man turned to Audrey. "Sorry about him," he said, frowning. "I'll take that letter for you, if you like. I can drop it off as soon as we finish our shift here tonight."

"Thank you, I'd really appreciate it," she said, and she set the envelope in his extended hand. "It's a bookshop, the address is on the front. It'll be locked up, but if you could just stick it under the door...?"

"No trouble, miss," the brunet replied and tucked the envelope into the pocket of his uniform. "Anything for a pretty lady. So, you headed out of the city?"

"Up north," she agreed, nodding.

"Don't blame you there," he said and looked around the dingy station with a frown. "London's not a good place for anyone right now." They both turned as the train's whistle split the air, announcing its approach to the station. "That'll be your train, I reckon? Would you like an escort? To make sure none of these ruffians-" he gestured over his shoulder at the other soldiers, who protested loudly, "harass you, of course."

Audrey cast a half-glance at the other soldiers and then nodded. "Thank you, that's very kind of you," she said. The brunet marched alongside her as they crossed the platform and joined the small queue waiting for the train to pull up to the station. "Are you sure I can't offer you a little money for delivering that letter for me?"

The soldier smiled and shook his head. "Don't bother yourself, miss," he said genially. "I reckon people ought to do nice things for each other more often. We wouldn't get stuck in as many of these wars in the end that way, me thinks." He paused as the screech of the train's brakes filled the station. "‘Sides," he added when it had finally quieted again, "I don't know how much longer it'll be before I get sent out to fight, but I know the odds of all us chaps coming back isn't high. I'd rather be remembered for being a nice bloke, you know?"

Audrey felt her heart break for the sweet boy and his frank acceptance of the possibility of his death. "There's nothing I can do to thank you?" she asked.

"Well," he said and grinned, "I know that it's a long shot, but how about this? If you and I ever come back to London, you look me up and let me take you for a dance. No promises, no commitments, just a dance. Yeah?"

"That sounds lovely," she said. The train whistle sounded again and she jumped in surprise. The people that had been queued up around her had all boarded the train and she felt her heart leap. It was time. "Thank you again," she said and grasped his forearm. She leant forward onto her toes and placed a shallow kiss against his cheek before turning and climbing aboard the train.

Most of the travellers had already settled into carriages. Audrey wandered down the corridor, peering curiously into doors until she found an empty compartment halfway down the train. She shut the door behind her and took a seat by the window, laying her bag on the cushion beside her. Pushing back the threadbare curtains, she peered out onto the platform. The brunet soldier was still standing in the same place she’d left him, and she watched his eyes panning down the line of windows. She waved and a few seconds later his eyes landed on her.

Grinning, he gestured for her to open the window. She fought with the old clasp for a minute before finally managing to tug the small window pane open. The soldier cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “I never got your name, miss.”

“Audrey,” she called back through the smoky air. “Audrey Parker.”

“Lovely to meet you, Miss Audrey,” he said. “Stan Seddal.” The train whistle carved through the air again, and he glanced ahead at the engine before turning back to her. “So I’ll see you when this is all over, yeah?”

“We’ll go dancing,” she agreed, even as a heavy weight settled in her chest. “Thank you again.”

“No, Miss,” he shouted as the train’s wheels groaned and started moving, “thank you!” The train picked up speed but she kept her eyes on the soldier until the platform disappeared in the smoke. Somehow she knew that they would never see each other again, and they would never share that night of dancing. Closing the window, she leant back in her seat and prayed that somehow he would make it home safely. Just like her cousin would.

Her mind filled with thoughts of her missing cousin again, she didn’t notice when the London skyline outside the windows diminished and was replaced by rolling fields. It was hours later before she realised that she had missed her opportunity for one last look at the city she had always called home, and that it might be a very long time before she saw it again. If it was still there to see when everything was said and done.

Audrey shook herself. There was no reason to think like that. Not yet. Opening her bag, she pulled out her worn book and dove back into her favoured sanctuary of Mr Darcy’s Pemberley estate.


	7. Chapter Six

_Bellingham Station, Northumberland, England - That night_

It was the middle of the night when the train reached her station, and as it jostled to a stop, Audrey woke with a start. She sat up from where she'd been sleeping against the window and squinted through the glass at the station. It was dark and quiet, most people already gone in for the night, and the town beyond was small and rustic compared to home.

Audrey gathered up her bag and disembarked along with a small handful of other people. Just outside the station, she spotted a man sitting in a carriage, and she hurried towards him. "Excuse me, sir," she said, and he glanced down at her curiously. "I don't suppose you could help me. I'm heading to Hareshaw and I could use a ride."

The man's eyebrow arched. "You come back in the morning and I'll take you far as you like," he said. "But I don't make trips in there after dark."

"Do you know of anyone who can help me?" she asked. "It's urgent."

"No one 'round here is daft enough to go in there at night," the man said with a dry laugh. "I'm tellin' ya, miss, get a room for the night and save your trip 'til morning. Inn's just down that street there."

Audrey huffed irritably and walked away, heading for the other end of the station. At the far edge of town, she could see the cluster of dark trees and she could just make out the road that cut through it. The trees looked imposing in the growing darkness, and she felt a prickle run down her spine. Perhaps it would be best to get a room in town for the night.

But the longer she waited, the longer Dwight was out there somewhere alone. What if he was sick, or injured? One extra day could make all the difference.

Audrey Parker was no coward; she wouldn't sit passively by when Dwight might be in trouble. Squaring her shoulders, she walked out of town and towards the forest. The trees towered above her as rough reached the entrance to the forest road and they cast thick, heavy shadows across her. She cast a quick look back at the little lights of Bellingham, and then turned and plunged into the forest.

It was frightening how quickly the town disappeared once she'd entered the actually. A bend in the road whisked Bellingham from her sight and after a mere handful of metres, she was completely surrounded by trees. Even in the darkness, it was easy enough to follow the wide, dirt road that carved its way deeper into the forest.

Audrey trudged on determinedly, ignoring the fear that was needling at her spine. She had never been into a forest before, growing up entirely in London city, and the giant trees were intimidating. Every time a wild animal called in the shadows, she couldn't stop herself from jumping. By the time she was fifty metres in, she sincerely regretted her decision to come in alone, but it was too late to turn back.

Night fell hard over the forest, deepening the shadows until they seemed solid. Audrey gripped her bag handles anxiously and continued on. Part of her expected a pressing quiet to accompany the darkness but instead she found herself surrounded by noise: rushing water, wind in the leaves, chirps, bird calls, howls, scratching, scraping, rustling. There was noise assailing her from every direction, and she found herself turning to look at a new noise every second, making her almost dizzy with the overload.

It was hard to tell how long had passed except by the growing ache in her legs. She lost track of the hours and miles. All she could do was keep walking and hope that eventually, she would find civilisation again. And that she wouldn't be eaten by a bear along the way.

Audrey was beginning to limp, sure she'd blistered her feet beyond repair, when the road in front of her branched. The path leading off to the west was narrower, torn apart, and riddled with plant life, as if it hadn't been tended in ages. The trees bent over it to form a tunnel, and through it, she could see a towering black structure silhouetted against the crescent moon.

Was this the place Dwight had come? He had said in his letter that it was a manor south of the village, and she had yet to come across any village on her journey north. How many old manors could there be in one wood? At the very least she had to check, just to see if Dwight had been there. If not, maybe she could get directions to where she needed to be.

As she passed under the natural archway of trees, she felt an ominous prickle go down her spine. The manor house was beautiful, in a dark, menacing way. She wondered what sort of person would live in such a place, or who would enjoy such isolation. Although the house looked abandoned and neglected, a few weak lights were flickering in upstairs windows. At least she knew someone was home.

Her heart was leaping hopefully, and she picked up her pace, passing through a yard of grass taller than her hips. In the forest behind her, she heard a long, mournful howl and she surged forward in panic. The road was rugged and she stumbled in her haste, one of her ankles turning beneath her, but she wouldn't stop. Not when she was so close to safety, and perhaps to Dwight as well.

The thick wooden doors were ornately carved but the varnish had chipped and faded with time. Audrey knocked but was surprised when the door swung inward at her touch. Immediately, her nerves went into overdrive. Perhaps the place really was abandoned, and it wasn't the owner but marauders and thieves that had lit the lights upstairs.

For a minute she hesitated on the doorstep, tempted to turn around and run, but then the howling picked up again in the forest and it made the decision for her. She stepped inside and shut the door. Better to risk running into someone here, where there was plenty of space to hide if need be, than to get caught alone in the woods with a pack of wolves and nowhere to run.

"Hello?" Audrey called into the cavernous entrance hall. "I'm sorry to let myself in but the door was open. I could use your help. I'm looking for someone."

"This way," a voice spoke up from the shadows. Audrey yelped in surprise, spinning around and looking for the source of the voice in the unlit room. "You're looking for the giant, right?" the voice said, and Audrey managed to narrow her search down to the shadows beside the sweeping staircase. "He's this way."

"Dwight's here?" Audrey asked hopefully.

"This way," the voice said again. "Hurry, before he finds you." There was a tapping of shoes, sharp on stone, and it headed deeper into the shadows. Audrey paused, unsure if she should follow, but then the steps stopped. "I'm not going to hurt you," the voice said and his - for she was sure by its depth that it was a man - tone had softened. "But your friend is sick and won't have much time..."

"He's sick?" Audrey asked anxiously, and she dropped her bag to follow the sound of the voice.

"This way," is all the voice said and then the steps started up again. Audrey followed the sound of the soft footfalls through a series of doorways and corridors. She never saw the person she was following, just the occasional silhouette of a tall, lean figure against the window they passed. He led her entirely by tossing, "This way," back over his shoulder.

They had headed down several staircases, and the temperature plummeted with every step until Audrey was huddled in her coat and shivering. "Just a bit further," the voice said and led her down a long, unlit hall. She heard the creak of a door and the dull, flickering light of a candle in a holster on the far wall seemed dazzling against the darkness. "In here," the voice said.

"Thank you," Audrey said.

"Just don't tell him I helped you," the voice said with a dry laugh, and then the padding of footsteps disappeared down another path.

Audrey walked through the open door and found herself in a corridor of doors. Each of them was steel, with tiny, barred windows at eye level. It looked oddly like a dungeon, but that was ridiculous. Who had dungeons anymore? "Dwight?" Audrey asked cautiously, wondering what on earth her cousin would be doing in here. Was this all a trick? Had the voice led her to her doom?

"Audrey?"

The hoarse reply made Audrey's heart jump, and she saw a large hand appear in one of the windows, the fingers threading through the bars. Audrey hurried toward the door and in the dim light of the single candle, she could just make out her cousin's face through the gap. He looked pale and drawn, dark circles beneath his eyes and sweat on his brow despite the cold. There was dried blood in his hair. "Jesus, Dwight, what happened?" she asked.

"Audrey, you've got to get out of here," Dwight said frantically.

"Not without you," Audrey said. Her attention went to the lock on the door, and she wondered if there was a way to pick it. She pulled a pin from her hair, the majority of the knot falling loose around her shoulders, and started on the lock.

"No, you don't understand," Dwight said but then descended into a fit of coughing. It took him several minutes to recover. "There are monsters here. This place is cursed." His eyes widened. "It's already affecting you. Look at your hair."

Audrey touched her hair and was surprised to feel that it was considerably longer than it had been. When she combed it forward her hair was darkening from blonde to light, chestnut brown. "What's happening?" she asked, panicked.  

"Please, Audrey, go!" Dwight insisted.

"I'm not leaving you," Audrey said firmly and then went back to the lock.

"Who are you?" The coarse voice made Audrey drop her hairpin, and she backed against the door in terror. She could just see a large shadow in the doorframe, just beyond the glow of the candle. Behind her, she heard Dwight coughing again and her anger flared.

"Who are _you_?" she snapped back, pushing herself off the door to square up with the figure. "Who do you think you are, locking up sick people in your _dungeon_?"

"I am the master of this house," the voice responded in a coarse, deep roll. "And you are trespassing."

"I just came to get my cousin," Audrey said, and although she was shaking, she stood her ground. "Let him out and we'll be on our way."

"He came onto my property," the voice said. "Anyone who comes onto this land is trapped. He has to stay."

"Please," Audrey said, switching tactics as Dwight broke down coughing yet again, a rasping, wet noise. "He's sick. He needs a doctor. Just let him go. Let him go and-" Audrey's mind was racing, looking for some way to appease the voice. Right now, her only concern was getting Dwight out of here where he could get better. The solution came to her and she straightened her spine, preparing to accept her fate. "Let him go and I'll take his place."

"Audrey, no!" Dwight shouted.

"You would choose to stay in his place?" the growling voice asked.

"Yes," Audrey agreed, while Dwight continued to shout at her from behind. "So long as you promise to let him go. He's a soldier, being deployed for the war in just a few days. Get him back to London so he can see a doctor and fulfil his duty, and I will stay here for as long as you wish it."

"Audrey, you can't!" Dwight cried.

"Very well," the voice said.

"But first," Audrey said, squinting through the darkness at the shape hovering in the door, "step forward, where I can see you."

For a long moment, no one moved and Audrey thought that he wouldn't do as she asked. Then, slowly, he walked forward into the ring of light cast by the candle. As the light crept up his form, Audrey gasped.

The figure in front of her stood and carried itself like a human, but it was clearly far from it. If anything, she would've called it a wolf. Short, dark fur covered its body, and its head stretched into a short muzzle, a pair of thick fangs curving down over its lower lip. It stood in a half-crouch, its long hands and feet tipped with sharp claws, and was clothed in only a pair of tattered trousers. As Audrey surveyed it in awe, it stared back at her with piercing blue-gray eyes full of anger.

"Satisfied?" it asked with a condescending smirk. Then it glanced over its shoulder. "Take him. Do as she asked."

Two more figures entered the room, and Audrey's mind reeled further. One was tall and lean, with long, dark hair and a scruffy jawline, but his eyes were a bright, electric silver. The other was short and stocky, but his body was covered in jagged lines. It looked like he had shattered to pieces and been put back together, and badly at that. The silver-eyed man gave her a sympathetic look as the other unlocked the cell door with a ring of keys.

"Audrey," Dwight said, staggering out of the cell and into her arms. "Audrey, you can't do this."

"Dwight," she said, clinging to him, knowing it might be the last time she ever saw him. However, she had barely wrapped her arms around him when he was tugged forcefully out of her grip. "Dwight!"

Dwight continued to fight as the two men dragged him toward the door, but his illness had weakened him and he couldn't escape. Audrey tried to hurry after him, but the wolf-man caught her by the arm and stopped her. "You gave your word," he reminded her. "You will stay here now."

"You didn't even let me say goodbye!" Audrey shouted furiously and before she could stop herself, she'd drawn her fist back and hit him in the chest. The wolf took a step back, scowling and touching the spot she'd struck. Audrey turned away from him, tears welling in her eyes. The sounds of Dwight's struggling were gone. He was gone. She'd never see him again.

Audrey crumpled to the floor, drawing her legs up to her chest, and buried her face in her knees as she fought back tears. There was a resounding silence in the dungeon block except for her heavy breathing. She almost forgot that she wasn't alone until the wolf-man said, "Come." Confused, Audrey looked up at it. "Unless you'd rather stay here," it added pointedly.

Brushing herself off, Audrey stood and straightened out her skirt. The wolf hesitated for a second, staring at her, and then it turned and stalked out of the door. Audrey followed cautiously as they climbed back up the staircases and finally entered the entrance hall. It led her up the grand stairs and through a long series of wide corridors before finally stopping in front of a completely nondescript door.

"This is your room," it told her flatly. "Manor is yours, but don't try to leave. And the top floor is _forbidden_. Understand?"

"Yes," Audrey said and pulled her coat more tightly around herself.

The wolf shuffled its feet, staring at the wall above her head. Then it cleared its throat. "You will join me for dinner." And with that, it turned and walked away.

With nothing better to do, Audrey opened the door to her new room. The bedroom beyond the door was larger than the entire flat she had shared with Dwight, with an enormous four-poster bed and beautiful, matched furniture. Everything was elegant, and on any other occasion, Audrey would've taken to exploring the room.

Not today though. Today she had just lost everything she had ever known; her home, her family, her life.

Audrey threw herself down on the bed and finally succumbed to the tears.


	8. Chapter Seven

_English Channel - That afternoon_

Dwight Hendrickson came to slowly, his head throbbing. The world was swaying around him, and nausea curled in his stomach. Someone was shouting and as someone shoved his shoulder, he felt the world tipping. "Hendrickson, you awake finally?" a voice asked, somehow too loud even over the constant noise around him.

"Where'm'I?" he slurred, blearily forcing his eyes open. Above him was a flat, steel ceiling. He was lying on something hard and scratchy, and as he tried to focus, the world pitched again. This time it was accompanied by the sound of water on metal, and the answer came to him in a flash.

"You're onboard the HMS Hunter," the voice responded. Dwight turned his head to see a man standing beside him, swaying slightly with the motion of the ship as he examined a clipboard of papers. There was a white band around his bicep emblazoned with the red cross that signified him as a medic, and the name _Lucassi_ stitched onto his breast pocket.

"No, I can't be here," Dwight said, sitting up despite every muscle in his body protesting the movement. "I have to go find her."

"Easy there," Lucassi said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You're going to be a bit unsteady until you get some water in you. You're a bit dehydrated."

"No!" Dwight said frantically. "Audrey. I have to save her."

Lucassi frowned and pulled out a pen-torch, flashing it in Dwight's eyes. "A little disorientation is normal," he said. "You had a rather high fever when you were brought aboard. A bit too much drink and a bit too long out in the cold, was it?"

"No, you have to listen," Dwight said. "My cousin, Audrey, she's been captured. There's this thing living in a manor up near Bellingham. A monster. He's taken her hostage. Please, you have to let me go. I need to go find her."

"It's a little late for going awol," Lucassi said, tucking his pen-torch into his pocket and setting down the clipboard. "We're halfway out the Channel. Whatever monster," he said the word with heavy sarcasm, "your cousin is dealing with, she'll have to manage on her own until we come back next year." Then the medic left the small room, shutting the door behind him with a definitive click.


	9. Chapter Eight

_Haven House - That night_

Audrey's eyes were burning as she pried them open. It had taken a while but eventually she had run out of tears and now her eyes felt like they had been rubbed with sand. Her entire body ached from her long trek, but most especially her legs and feet, and having slept nearly the whole day had done nothing to make her feel better. She groaned and burrowed herself deeper into the musty blankets of the enormous bed, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep and never wake up.

It wasn't like she had a life anymore.

Audrey had just pulled the covers over her head when a gentle knock sounded at the door. Remembering her captor's request that she join him for dinner - _had she really slept so long?_ \- she shouted, "Go away."

"I'm just bringing you your things, love," a female voice responded. "You left your bag in the foyer."

"Oh," Audrey said, surprised by the new voice. "Um, come in then."

The door opened and provided Audrey with yet another shock. The woman that stepped through was older, her red hair flecked with grey and her face lined. Her eyes were soft and her smile was fond. She wore a high-collared white shirt and black floor-length skirt that seemed oddly old-fashioned to Audrey's eyes. She also happened to be semi-transparent. 

"Good evening, dear. Well, it's night now. We thought we'd let you sleep a bit," she said, shutting the door behind her. She carried Audrey's bag over and set it on the cedar chest at the foot of the bed. "I know it's not much, but I thought you might like to have your things. Make yourself feel a little more at home."

"In my new prison?" Audrey asked sarcastically.

The woman frowned. "I know the situation's not ideal," she said, "but keep your chin up. Things will get better; you'll see. You don't seem like the sort of girl to let a thing like this get you down."

Audrey shrugged uncertainly and adjusted her coat. "Are you a ghost?"

"No, just a little less solid than most," the woman said with an airy chuckle. "I'm sure you've already figured out that this place is different. We might not look it, but we are still all human here. Even the master."

"That monster isn't human," Audrey said contemptuously.

"There's more to all of this than what you see on the outside," she said gently. "And there's more to him. I know that's hard to see right now with everything you've been through, but one day maybe..." She came around and perched herself on the edge of the bed. "We all think what you did was pretty amazing," she said. "Offering to take your cousin's place. That was very brave of you."

Audrey felt her eyes sting, although there were no tears left to come out. "He's all the family I have," she said. "What else could I do?"

The woman regarded her thoughtfully. "What's your name, love?" she asked finally.

"Audrey," she said. "Audrey Parker."

"Lovely to meet you, Audrey. My name's Eleanor," the woman said and she extended a hand. Audrey hesitated and the woman smiled kindly. "Don't worry, it won't hurt you," she said. Audrey's smile was tight in response but she carefully put her hand in the other woman's. It was cold and it made her skin prickle, but she didn't pass through her. "I must say, you're taking this all very well," Eleanor said when they'd dropped their respective hands.

"I keep thinking it all has to be a dream," Audrey admitted. "That any minute I'm going to wake up in my flat and find I fell asleep reading a silly book, and all of this was just some strange dream. Like Alice and her trip to Wonderland."

"Fallen down any rabbit holes lately?" Eleanor asked, and there was something mischievous in her smile.

Audrey ignored the joke and surveyed the strange woman again. "What happened to you?" she asked. "To all of you, to make you like this?"

Eleanor straightened up and glanced at her watch. "We'd best hurry, or you're going to be late," she said. When Audrey frowned in confusion, she added, "For dinner with the master."

Audrey snorted derisively and folded her arms over her chest. "I'm not having dinner with him."

"But the master said-"

"I don't care what he says," Audrey said defiantly. "He took my life and family away from me. The least he can do is leave me alone."

Eleanor twisted her hands anxiously in her lap for a moment and then she nodded. "If you change your mind," she said, "there are some clean dresses in the wardrobe." Then she stood and walked out of the room, shooting one last kindly look at Audrey before shutting the door behind her.

* * *

Eleanor Carr had been a resident of Haven House long enough to know that the conversation she was about to have was not going to go well. She paced down the corridor, wringing her hands together anxiously, and tried to make the journey last as long as possible. It wasn't so much that she was afraid of the master of the house, it was more that she feared for the house's newest occupant.

Poor Audrey was a unique new addition to the house. Each of the residents had some strange quirk about them, brought on by the dark secrets of their pasts, but so far she seemed to be still completely normal. Apart from being an inordinately brave and determined young woman, anyway. Perhaps... Perhaps she really would be the key to everything.

Of course, that made telling the master that she had refused his invitation all the worse.

She reached the door to the dining hall and hesitated for a split second before pushing the door open. Inside, she found the long table already set, a fire in the grate illuminating the room with a warm glow. Her two main companions - two of the manor's residents that could still function relatively normally - were standing against the wall by the fireplace, the older looking tired from his fourteen-hour trip to London and back. Her master, whom she noted had changed into a pair of trousers that weren't completely shredded, was sitting at the head of the table.

"Master," she greeted with a slight tip of her head as she shut the door behind her.

The master frowned when he realised that she was alone. "Where's the girl?" he asked, his brow furrowing.

"Ms Parker is not feeling well and has declined your invitation to dinner," Eleanor said.

"She what?" the master asked, standing up and planting his fists on the tabletop.

"Try to be understanding, sir," Eleanor reasoned. "She has just lost everything. Her home, her life, her family. This is a lot to take in all in one day."

"She has to eat, does she not?" he asked shortly.

"Of course, but give her some time," Eleanor tried again. "Perhaps in a day or two, when she feels more settled in..." The master growled and slammed a hand against the table, making plates and cutlery jump. "Don't lose your temper with me," Eleanor chided.

"After the hospitality I have shown her, the least she could do was join me for dinner," he growled, dropping down into his chair. "You all did."

"She's different," Eleanor said. "We were given no choice in the matter, not after what we've done. She made the decision to stay here to save someone she loves. And I'm not certain but-" She trailed off, wondering if she should dare go on. It would only be cruel to raise everyone's hopes if she were wrong.

"She's not affected by the manor," Duke said for her, his silver eyes flashing brighter than the firelight.

The master's head shot up immediately. "She what?"

"Didn't you notice," Duke asked. "Her hair was changing colours, but the moment she agreed to stay, it stopped. Something stopped the curse. But what does that mean?"

"Nothing," the master said, standing up again. His blue eyes were sharp and angry as he straightened himself up to his full, considerable height. "It means nothing. She is nothing special; just a naive little girl." And with that, he turned on his heel and stormed from the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

There was a resounding, tense silence for several minutes, and then Duke cleared his throat. "Yeah, does anyone believe that for a second?" he asked sarcastically.

"His business is his own," Garland said, scratching at one of the cracks that ran through his left cheek idly.

"I think it became our business as well when we all became trapped here," Duke countered. "What if it's something that can free us all, fix this curse?"

"There is no _cure_ ," Garland said. "We have made our cots, and now we must lie in them. Nothing more than that." Brow furrowed, Garland turned and left the room as well.

"Two peas in a pod they are," Duke said, shaking his head. "What do you think, Eleanor?"

"I think that there is a scared, lonely girl upstairs and that we should do what we can to make her feel at home," Eleanor said. "That's all that concerns me right now."

Eleanor made to leave the room, but Duke stopped her with a hand on her arm. "Let me," he said. "I'm the one who led her into this mess."

"Behave, would you?" Eleanor said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm hurt," Duke said, putting a hand over his heart even as he grinned. "Really, though," he continued more sincerely, "I just want to make sure she's okay. I'm the one who helped take her cousin." Eleanor saw the guilt weighing heavily in his eyes and she nodded in understanding. Duke smiled tightly and then slipped passed her out of the door.  

Eleanor watched him go, wondering what they had gotten themselves into. There was clearly something different about this girl, something that had set the master on edge, and she couldn't help but think that this Audrey Parker was the key to changing everything.


	10. Chapter Nine

Audrey sat on the bench in the large bay window, her legs tucked up beneath her and her coat pulled around her. She leant her head against the cold glass, watching night darken the world outside. From her window, she could see the expansive gardens behind the manor. It might once have been a beautiful place, but the plants were all overgrown and tangled, obscuring statues and benches and sculpted garden boxes. The moonlit garden was wrapped in vines, contained and constricted.

Audrey could relate.

She couldn't believe that this was the place she was going to spend the rest of her days. It was so dismal and isolated and cold. Eleanor was kind enough, but Audrey longed for more friendship than that. And more than friendship, she had wanted so much more for her life. Adventure, romance, memories. She wanted to see new places and experience new cultures and meet fascinating people. She wanted to find a man who had the same passion for life and spend her life with him.

Instead, she was trapped inside a lonely manor with a monster, alone and without freedom.

Still, she reasoned, at least Dwight was safe. She hoped he was back in London already where he could seek a doctor and get better. He could serve his tour of duty and then maybe, when he came home, he would come for her. Surely he wouldn't leave her to rot in this horrid place. She just had to wait until then.

Or perhaps she could escape on her own. What was keeping her here? The other town couldn't be far. She could slip out while it was dark and make her way to the village. If she ran, she could be there before anyone noticed that she'd gone.

Resolute, Audrey buttoned her coat and slipped out of her room. She looked for familiar landmarks, carefully making her way through the dark manor in search of the main hall. It took her a while, and the occasional sound of footsteps caused her to duck into alcoves or around corners, but eventually she stumbled into the entrance hall. The front door creaked when she opened it, and she slid through the crack into the cold night air.

Once she was out of the building, she started running down the long drive. The tunnel of trees loomed ahead of her, beckoning her to freedom. She put on an extra spurt of speed, her skirt tangling around her legs as she ran. She reached the tunnel and stepped beneath the cover-

The world suddenly blurred before her and a sharp, crushing pain wrapped around her chest. Audrey gasped and slowed, clutching her ribs as they ached like they were being compressed. She couldn't breathe and her heart was hammering in her ears. There was no visible object impeding her, but she found it difficult to move like she was trying to swim through mud.

It was almost impossible to draw breath, and her vision tunnelled, darkening at the edges. Head swirling, she took another step but her leg buckled underneath her. Her knees struck the rocky path hard, and she tried to draw in air but her mouth felt filled with cotton. She was drowning on land, her chest burning as she suffocated in the middle of the pathway.

Something warm encircled her upper arm and tugged, dragging her backwards. The further they got, the more the pressure lessened on her chest and head. Then all at once it was gone and she drew in an overcompensating breath. The hand around her arm pulled and she stumbled backwards, landing hard on her backside in the drive.

Taking in deep breaths, Audrey looked at her arm, which had finally been released. She frowned when she realised that the sleeve of her coat had been torn, pulled away from the shoulder at the seam. "You tore my coat," she panted out petulantly.

"Actually, I just saved your life," came the response from behind her. Audrey recognised the voice as the one that had led her to Dwight's cell and she pivoted curiously. Sitting on the road behind her was the tall man with the silver eyes she had seen in the dungeon, breathing hard with his long legs akimbo. He wore pressed brown trousers with a matching waistcoat over his shirtsleeves, all of which were now covered in dirt. "Most people say thank you."

"What was that?" Audrey asked, glancing at the tunnel of trees again. There was still nothing visible there, no indication that it was anything more than a normal pathway through the trees.

" _That_ is the reason we're all still here," he said. "Once you set foot on the property, you can't leave without the boss' say-so. Unless he gives you express permission, you're stuck here." He clambered awkwardly to his feet, dusted himself off, and then offered a hand down to her. "Come on, we should get you back inside. This time of night, there are dangerous things in these woods."

Audrey hesitated before taking his hand and allowing him to help her up. "You're the one who led me to my cousin," she said. The silver-eyed man nodded, turning to walk back up to the manor. Audrey hurried to fall into step with him. "Thank you. For that, and for that," she added and pointed back over her shoulder at the trees.

"I had a feeling you might try to run," he said.

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"Because we all do," he said simply. "But you, a spirit like that. No way were you going to take this whole thing sitting down. Not after what you did to save your cousin. I knew you would try to do a runner as soon as you could."

They walked halfway up the driveway in silence before Audrey looked up at the man again. His long dark hair hung in curtains on the sides of his face and his bright silver eyes glowed softly in the night shadows. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Duke Crocker," he said with a grin, holding his hand out to her again. "Your name's Audrey, right?" Audrey nodded and shook his offered hand. "Nice to meet you, although I wish it could've been under better circumstances."

"How long have you been here?" Audrey asked.

"Couple years," he responded, plunging his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "Can't tell you for sure, you start to lose track of time after a while. I'm one of the newer ones, though." He blew out a heavy breath that crystallised in the air. "You hungry?"

"A little, yeah," she agreed.

"Good, 'cause I was going to make something to eat, but I hate eating alone," Duke said and smiled again.

"But that wolf, your master, won't he-"

Duke snorted and waved a dismissive hand. "Who cares about him?" he said. "Can't let you starve just because he's not a people person. Besides, I'm already on his bad side, it won't make a difference."

Audrey smiled as she followed Duke back into the manor. She was beginning to like this guy. At least she was guaranteed to have one person to talk to while she was stuck here.

Duke led the way through a maze of corridors until he finally opened the door to an enormous kitchen. It had fallen into a bit of disrepair but for the most part, it was still a beautiful, extravagant room befitting a manor of this size. Duke gestured to a small table and chairs in the corner of the room before heading straight for the icebox. Audrey settled herself down at the table to watch.

Duke moved around the kitchen with a practised hand, arranging and preparing things like it was second nature to him. He hardly had to look as he diced vegetables and sliced meat and boiled water. "I was a cook before," he said when he caught Audrey's amazed look. "Before I came here, I worked in a restaurant in central London. I think my cooking is the only reason the boss keeps me around. I am pretty good, if I do say so myself."

"I was a shop girl," Audrey said, thinking longingly of Mr Teagues and his warm, cosy little bookstore. "I watched the desk in a book shop and helped with the numbers. It didn't pay great, but I loved it there. I love books."

"I have some old books in my room, you can read them if you like," Duke offered. "It helps pass the time."

Audrey's eyes lit up eagerly. "Thank you, that would be wonderful," she said. "I only brought one book with me. I wasn't exactly planning on staying."

"No one ever does," Duke said sympathetically. He turned his back on her as he started working at the stove, and soon the delicious smell of cooking meat filled the room. Audrey's stomach growled expectantly. They were quiet as Audrey simply breathed in the smell of meat and vegetables, and it wasn't long before Duke was setting a plate on the table in front of her. " _Bon appetit_ , Miss Parker."

"This smells wonderful," she said and then took a bite of the tender meat. An appreciative hum escaped her.

Duke grinned again. "I told you, it's the only reason the boss hasn't thrown me out yet. I earn my keep."

Audrey hadn't realised quite how hungry she was, so preoccupied with everything else that had happened, but it had been more than a day since she'd eaten. She tucked in gratefully, and she was halfway through the dish before she slowed down. When she glanced up at Duke, he was smirking. "Love a girl with an appetite," he teased.

"Sorry," Audrey said, blushing.

"Don't worry, love," he said. "I know you've not eaten in a while. I'll just take it as a compliment to my cooking."

"It's delicious," Audrey said gratefully. Duke beamed, his silver eyes flashing beneath the kitchen lamps. "If you don't mind my asking...?"

"The eyes?" he guessed. "The people here, we're - troubled. It's what happens to us when we step onto the property." He set down his fork, and his gaze was more severe as he stared at her across the table. "The others aren't sure about telling you everything, but I think you deserve to know if you're going to be stuck here."

"This place is cursed or something, isn't it?" she asked, the words feeling strange as they came off her tongue. She had always considered herself open-minded, but she had never expected to see anything like magic firsthand. Still, it was the only possible explanation.

"Right on the nose," Duke said. "I don't know the particulars or how it all got started. The boss hasn't been forthcoming about what happened to him. All I know is that it has something to do with committing crimes. You do something bad, the moment you step on the property you're cursed. It gets each of us different. Eleanor is half-invisible. Garland is covered in cracks and he falls apart under stress. Literally falls apart. It's strange to watch. And me, I've got silver eyes and a Mr Hyde complex."

"Mr Hyde?" Audrey asked. "Like Dr Jekyll? Robert Louis Stevenson?"

Duke bounced his eyebrows approvingly and nodded. "Dangerous situations turn me into a monster," he said. "Big, strong, and fond of fighting."

"What did-?" Audrey stopped and hastily swallowed the rest of her sentence.

"What's my dirty secret?" Duke finished for her. "It's okay, I'm not offended. I've had a long time to come to terms with it. I'm a deserter. Got my call to duty but the night before I was supposed to ship out, I lost my nerve. Ran north to try and escape. Ended up here and I've been trapped here ever since." He shook his head. "I was a bit of a surprise to hear your cousin's a soldier. Is the war not over yet?"

"It's only been on a year now," she said, confused. "I thought you said you'd been here for several years."

"That's not possible," he countered, frowning. "It'd been on nearly three when I came here, and that was a long time ago."

"How long?" Audrey asked suspiciously.

"Summer 1917," he admitted, not able to meet her gaze.

Audrey's jaw dropped. "It's 1940 now. You've been here more than twenty years?" she asked. "How is that possible? You aren't nearly old enough."

"I don't think time moves the same here," Duke said, finally looking up at her again. "Eleanor's been here since before the turn of the century, and Garland was here before her. I don't even want to imagine how long the boss' been here. Time keeps going and we just stay the same." He caught her frightened look and his expression softened. "Don't worry though, I don't think it'll affect you the same. I mean, you're still normal, aren't you?"

"I haven't noticed anything different," she said hesitantly. "Except well..." She twisted a piece of her now brown hair around her fingers pointedly. "What does that mean?"

"Honestly? I have no idea," he said. "The boss wouldn't say, although I think he knows. I mean, have you ever committed a crime?"

"No, of course not," Audrey said and then winced. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

Duke chuckled. "Don't worry, love, you'll find I'm hard to offend," he said. "A few years in this place will do that to you. The boss isn't exactly handing out compliments like candies." Audrey's face darkened at the mention of her captor. "I know he's not your favourite wolf-person right now, but it's really not so bad around here. He may not make a great first impression, but he does take care of us. And you know, if you just have dinner with him once, he'll leave you alone."

"I don't want to have dinner with him once," Audrey said stubbornly. "In fact, I'll be perfectly fine if I never see that thing again."

Duke smiled tightly and held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, fair enough," he said. He glanced at her empty plate and then at the darkened window. "Come on, it's late. You should get some sleep. In the morning I'll give you a proper tour of the house, yeah?"

Audrey nodded and stood, letting Duke set a guiding hand on the small of her back as he led her back to her room.

* * *

In his chambers at the top of the manor, the master of the house turned away from the mirror on the wall. The sheet of glass showed the image of the manor's kitchen, Duke and Audrey's backs visible as they headed for the door. "That is enough," he said.

"Yes, sir," the mirror responded. The image cleared and in its place was the face of a young woman, her pale, pointed face framed by short, dark hair. "Sir, if you don't mind my asking, why her? What's so special about her?"

"I don't know," he said. He dropped to all fours, pacing in front of the mirror. "But she is different. Different than anyone else. She's the only person here who chose to be here. And I-" He stopped and touched his chest lightly where she had struck him the night before.

"Do you think she could be the one?" the mirror asked.

The master growled and stopped as abruptly as if he'd hit a wall. "There is no _one_ ," he said, his tone fierce and bitter. "You heard her. She wants nothing to do with me, and who can blame her?"

"Give her time, sir," the mirror said gently. "Maybe when she's calmed down you could talk to her. Explain everything."

"It is over, Jennifer," he said firmly. "A girl like her could never love a monster like me." The mirror opened her mouth but he silenced her with a snarl. "Leave me. Morning is coming."

"Yes, sir," the mirror said and she faded from the glass. The moment she'd gone a look of hopeless despair washed over the master's face. He dropped heavily onto a dusty settee and let his head fall into his hands. It was no use, nothing he could do would change what had happened. The girl, as insufferable and difficult as she was, still deserved better than him.

Like he had told his looking glass, it was over.


	11. Chapter Ten

A knock at the door woke Audrey late the following morning. She unburied herself from the almost sinfully comfortable pillows and glanced at the door. "Who is it?" she asked uncertainly. If it was the master of the house come to bully her into a dinner date...

"Eleanor, dear," was the reply.

"Oh, come in," Audrey said, hastily straightening out her skirts to be more presentable.

The door swung inward and Eleanor stepped into the room, carrying a tray of food. She smiled kindly as she walked over and set the tray on the mattress in front of Audrey. "Duke sends his regards as well as breakfast," she said, gesturing at the toast and eggs. "He would've come himself but he had some business to attend to. He says as soon as he's finished he will come and give you the grand tour."

"Thank you, this is lovely," Audrey said gratefully. As much as she tried to hate the place, she couldn't deny that at least her new friends were wrong people. She tucked into the breakfast eagerly.

"Also I thought you might want to get tidied up," Eleanor added. She eyed Audrey's wrinkled, dirty dress pointedly and then walked over to the wardrobe. When she opened it, Audrey was surprised to see it full to the bursting with dresses of every colour and style. "It's how I pass the time here," Eleanor explained at her awestruck look. "The younger ladies like to keep up with the latest trends, even if no one sees us."

"How do you know the trends, if you can't leave this place?" Audrey asked curiously, picking up a piece of buttered toast.

"That would be my doing." Audrey jumped at the unexpected voice. A figure had appeared in the full-length mirror that hung inside the wardrobe, a pretty little brunette with a soft smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, but I can't exactly knock," the girl in the mirror said.

"You're - you're in a mirror," Audrey said, standing up to approach the wardrobe cautiously.

"Audrey, meet Jennifer Mason," Eleanor introduced with a slight wave of her hand.

"Welcome to Haven House," Jennifer said with a slightly sardonic smile. "We're all a bit odd here. I didn't mean to intrude, but I could hear you talking about clothes. I'm the one who helps them see what the world looks like outside. I can show people images, or at least I can when the master gives me permission. I show Eleanor what the ladies dress like outside and she makes clothes for everyone." The girl glanced down at her gold, bustled dress, and shrugged. "Well, everyone but me, that is."

"This is incredible," Audrey said, reaching out to touch the glass. Although her fingertips landed where the girl's forearm was, she couldn't feel anything but the smooth, cold glass. "So you live in my mirror?"

"Not just this mirror," Jennifer said hastily. "Any mirror inside the manor. I can move between them, and I can hear through them all."

"Now, dear, let's get you ready," Eleanor said. "You can't keep wearing that poor dress. Pick one, any one you like."

Audrey looked through the dresses in wonder. It was like a time capsule of fashion from the last hundred years, from chic modern dresses to demure Regency-era dresses and everything in between. Never one to be genuinely interested in clothes, Audrey was a bit overwhelmed by the choices. She was just about to give up and ask Eleanor's help when her eyes landed on a dress.

It was a short, drop-waisted dress in a light beige. The asymmetrical skirt was embellished with a sheer overlay decorated with flowers made of glittering beads. It was the sort of beautiful finery that didn't exist in fashion anymore. After all, with a war on they weren't wasting money on frivolous fashion decorations. Audrey pulled it out, running her fingers over the silky fabric. "My mother had a dress like this," she murmured. "I remember her wearing it one night to go out with her friends."

"You lost her?" Jennifer asked gently.

"When I was five," Audrey said. "I barely remember her, but I remember that dress. How beautiful she looked in it."

Eleanor took the dress and held it up against Audrey's chest. "I think it'll look lovely on you, dear," she said. "Come on, I've had Garland bring up some water to get you washed." Audrey wolfed down the last of her breakfast and then Eleanor led her down the hall and into a shower-room. The floor was made of sleek, porcelain tiles and a partition separated the shower area from the dressing room.

While Eleanor hung the dress on a rack, Audrey explored the shower stall curiously. There were no pipes or nozzles. A narrow wooden shelf held a bar of homemade soap flecked with lavender. "I don't understand," Audrey said, leaning around the partition to glance at Eleanor.

"You're probably used to fancier bathing rooms," Eleanor said understandingly. "Duke's told me that things had changed a lot in the world, and that was back when he was there. But this house hasn't been updated for those advancements." She gestured at a row of water buckets and a stepping stool, and Audrey's eyes widened in comprehension.

Stepping back behind the partition, Audrey undressed and handed her dirty clothes to Eleanor around the screen. Then she stood in the open shower area while Eleanor dumped a bucket of water over the top of the partition onto her head. The water was barely above freezing and Audrey gasped in alarm, breaking out in gooseflesh all over her body.

"Sorry, dear," Eleanor said from the other side of the screen as Audrey began scrubbing herself with the bar of soap. It was scratchy but smelled fantastic. "I should've warned you; the water is cold."

"Thanks for that," Audrey said sarcastically. She finished washing, and then Eleanor dumped two more buckets of the frigid water over her head to rinse her off. It was a relief when Eleanor handed her a towel and Audrey could get the cool water off her skin. She dried off and wrapped her hair in the towel, and then Eleanor helped her into the dress.

When Audrey stepped in front of the mirror, she stopped up short. With her hair pulled up into the towel and wearing the decades ago dress, Audrey was struck by just how much she looked like her mother. She barely remembered her mother at all, but the photograph she had kept in her bedside table showed a woman with the same strong cheekbones and bright blue eyes, only her hair had been considerably darker.

"You look lovely, dear," said Eleanor. "Now come, let's do something with your hair and then you can be off to explore with Duke." They peeled off the towel and Audrey started. It was the first time she'd seen the full transformation of her hair and it caught her off guard. Several inches longer than it had been, it was slightly wavy and a bright, cinnamon brown, save for one narrow section on the right side that was still blonde.

"It was the curse, wasn't it?" Audrey asked, touching the strip of blonde hair. Behind her, Eleanor's expression gave her the answer. "Why this? My hair? And I haven't done anything wrong, why did it affect me?"

"Everyone's done something wrong in their life," Eleanor said sagely. She picked up a brush and began drawing it through Audrey's hair. "None of us are perfect, some more than others. And each of us, our crimes match our punishment in a way. I would imagine yours does too."

Audrey pondered that as Eleanor combed her hair back into a complicated knot at the base of her head. Eleanor smiled at her fondly in the reflection. "Beautiful," she said. Then she patted Audrey's shoulder. "Come on, Duke will be waiting, and he tends to cause trouble when he's left alone for long."

When they reached the entrance hall of the manor, Duke was standing there talking to the other man Audrey had seen in the dungeon. He was considerably older than Duke, with grey hair and prominent eyebrows over eyes that flashed like shards of ice. His skin was divided into small chunks by narrow fissures that created webs across his entire body. He dressed, Audrey noticed, in a style that would've fitted nicely in her favourite book, with his tailed coat and frilled necktie.

"Ah, there she is," Duke said brightly when he saw them coming down the stairs. "I almost didn't recognise you, Audrey."

"Behave yourself, Crocker," Eleanor warned, shaking her head.

"I was just paying the lady a compliment," Duke said with a shrug. They joined the two men and Duke gave Audrey an approving once-over. "You really do look fantastic, though. That dress suits you nicely."

"Thank you, Duke," Audrey said, smiling softly at her new friend.

"Audrey, I don't believe you've met Garland," Duke said, gesturing at the older man.

"You're the one who took my cousin," Audrey said, a bit furtively.

Garland didn't try to deny it, nodding shortly. "He arrived back to London and was picked up by members of his battalion. He is on board his ship to the war now."

Audrey nodded, trying to make sense of that. Part of her was elated that Dwight had made it to London and would be receiving the medical attention he needed. The other part of her was horrified that he was on his way into the warzone, where he might be taken from her in a more permanent fashion. "Thank you for taking care of him," she finally said. Garland nodded, and then turned and walked away without a word.

"He's not good with people either," Duke said dismissively. "Well, what do you say we begin the tour?" He offered an arm out to her and Audrey set her hand in the curve of his elbow with a smile.

Duke gave her a comprehensive walkthrough of the entire manor and its grounds. He led her through the maze of overgrown gardens and to a stable that housed a few horses, tended by a woman named Jess who spoke only in animal voices. Then he showed her through the ground floor of the manor house, from a grand ballroom to an elaborate dining hall to several sitting rooms.

"Rooms like this," Duke cautioned her as they walked along a hall on the first floor, pointing to a door with a strange symbol - a circular maze with a figure at each compass point - painted on its surface, "you'll want to stay out of. That sign means there's a troubled person in there who is dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Audrey asked.

"Yeah, you see some of us aren't as passive as others," he explained sombrely. "Eleanor and Garland, their troubles don't affect other people. Mine isn't great, but I can control it by now. But some of the people, the curse affected them differently. Like this room. The man on the other side, his shadow kills people."

"His shadow?" Audrey asked in shock.

Duke nodded grimly. "Took down three of us before we realised what was happening," he said. "So now he has to be kept in total darkness so he doesn't have a shadow." They started off down the hall again and Duke shook his head. "There's others. One who causes lightning strikes, one who causes a disease in anyone he touches, one who causes paralysing fear in anyone who looks at her. So we give them room, feed them, and try to keep them as comfortable as we can. Still, it's best to leave them alone."

"Why would he keep them here?" Audrey asked in horror. "Why wouldn't he just let them go? Living a life trapped in one little room, alone? That's terrible."

"He has, but our troubles don't go away when we leave," Duke said. "Garland has left several times and he's still the same. It's why most of us stay here even if he lets us go, because leaving would just endanger people. It's safer here, whether we like it or not."

"Has he let you leave?" Audrey asked.

Duke cleared his throat and looked down the hall. "Have I shown you the conservatory yet?"

Letting his change of subject slide, Audrey was led into a large chamber made of paneled glass. It was full of overgrown plantlife, vines creeping over the wrought iron furniture that was set up in the room. Enormous, brilliantly coloured flowers hung from every corner of the room and it smelled of freshness and earth.

"Garland tends it," Duke said with a grin. "It's his hobby. Eleanor makes us all clothes, Garland takes care of the grounds as best he can."

"And you cook," Audrey said.

Duke eyed her appraisingly. "We'll need to find you a hobby. Something to help you pass the time without going crazy. And you know, I think I have just the thing. But I'm saving that for the end."

He led her through dozens more rooms, giving her a look in each one that wasn't marked with the maze sign. There was every place imaginable in the manor, from a music room containing a gorgeous grand piano to a room filled with fabrics where Eleanor made her clothes to a room that simply contained nothing but a window that opened out to a little balcony with a splendid view of the back gardens and forest.

"This place apparently dates all the way back to the 1400s," Duke said as they ambled down another hall. Audrey was only half-listening; something had caught her attention. On the right side of the corridor there was a large curtain, but around the edge of it she could see that it was hiding a narrow staircase. She started toward it curiously.

"No!" Duke shouted in alarm, grabbing her by the arm. When Audrey looked at him, his silver eyes were wide with panic. "Do not go up there," he cautioned. "That leads to the attics. They're completely off limits."

"What's up there?" Audrey asked.

"Nothing that concerns any of us," Duke said flatly. "That's the master's one rule: never go to the attics. It's the only thing he asks of us, so we respect it. Do you understand that?"

As much as her curiosity was burning for her to investigate further, the severity in Duke's gaze was enough to startle her. Swallowing hard, she nodded.

Duke visibly relaxed at her agreement and his smile came back. "Come on, I've got something better to show you," he said. He led the way to the end of the corridor, where a set of double doors stood. He flashed her a brilliant grin before throwing the doors open with a flourish.

The room beyond made Audrey's heart soar. Every single wall was comprised of a shelf, each of them full to the bursting with books. Directly across from the doors was a wide fireplace surrounded by a semi-circle of comfortable armchairs. It was the sort of place she had only ever dreamed of and she put her hands to her mouth in awe. "This is incredible," she breathed, taking tentative steps into the room, afraid to break the spell of whatever magic had brought her to this magnificent place.

"I think I found your hobby," Duke said, following her into the room. "You think all these books can keep you entertained for a while?"

"This is like a dream come true," Audrey admitted, running her fingertips along the nearest row of books, feeling the rise and fall of the spines beneath her skin. "You have to teach me how to get here from my room."

Duke smiled and acquiesced. They traveled the path from her room to the library and back four times until she was positive she could find it on her own. After dinner, which she ate in the kitchens with Duke again, she went back to the library and spent the rest of the night buried in a book. Outside, the wolves howled into the dark.


	12. Chapter Eleven

It was almost frightening to Audrey how quickly she settled into her new life in Haven House. Although she still missed her home and Dwight and her work, she had found purpose in the strange new place. Her days fell into familiar patterns, and she found that while she wasn't happy, she wasn't miserable either.

Her days began when Eleanor knocked on her door. The older woman helped her to dress in whichever style of clothing she chose that day. Most times she would wear one of the short, sailor-style dresses that she was accustomed to at home, but sometimes she was more adventurous, and she would dress in something from one of the many other eras represented in her wardrobe.

Once she was dressed, Audrey wandered down to the kitchens where Duke would be preparing breakfast for the residents of the manor. After eating her own at the tiny table in the corner, she helped Duke deliver trays of food to each of the doors marked with the maze symbol. Every once in a while, she caught a glimpse of a resident from down the hall as they stepped out to get their food, but the majority of the residents of the house stayed a mystery to her.

Once the meal was finished, she usually took a walk in the gardens with either Eleanor or Duke. The late autumn weather was beginning to settle in, but on days when it wasn't too cold out, Duke took her out on the horses from the stables and taught her to ride around the edges of the property. Other times, he would regale her with tales from his youth, of bar nights and lovely women and sailing the Channel as a trader.

Lunch passed the same as breakfast and then Audrey would inevitably find her way to the library. Picking up whichever book she was reading at the time, she would settle into one of the comfortable armchairs by the fire and read. Occasionally, Jennifer would appear in the mirror above the mantle to talk to her for a while, but for the most part, she was left alone to her stories until it was time to help Duke distribute suppers. Although the master of the house always sent an invitation to join him, Audrey always declined in favour of eating with her new friends before retreating to the library again, where she stayed until bedtime.

She got so wrapped up in the day-to-day events that it was a surprise to her when she woke one morning to realise she had already been at the manor for six weeks. There was a soft glow coming from around the edges of the curtains and she climbed out of bed curiously. When she threw open the heavy scarlet curtains, she was met with a blinding light. The world outside was a blanket of white, fresh snow piled up on the grounds and swirling through the air in little whirlwinds.

There was a light tap on the door and then Eleanor let herself in with a "Good morning, dear."

"It's snowing," Audrey said in lieu of a reply, beaming.

"It has been all night," Eleanor said. "Garland said it was up past his ankles when he went to fetch firewood this morning."

Audrey turned back to the window, staring out at the winter storm in wonder. "It doesn't snow much in London," she said. "Rains mostly. I haven't seen a proper snowstorm like this in so long."

When Audrey finally looked away from the window, Eleanor was smiling at her fondly. "Perhaps you may go for a ride later when it has stopped," she said. "But not too long. You won't want to catch a chill." Then she gestured at the wardrobe, prompting Audrey to pick her outfit for the day.

The cold weather steered her away from her usual dresses, so instead she picked out a late Victorian era dress of bright red overlaid with black lace and beads. It had no sleeves and hung loosely off her shoulders, but when she looked in the mirror, her darker hair hanging loose and curled around her bare shoulders, she felt beautiful. It was still cold in the manor, so she drew on a thick black jacket before making her daily trip down to the kitchens.

"Well, look at you," Duke said when she stepped into the room. He whistled low and appreciatively. "You look like every sailor's dream, love."

Audrey's cheeks coloured with pleasure. "Thank you, Duke," she said. "I was feeling festive."

"Well I don't mean to be crude, but I hope this storm holds up then," he said with a roguish grin.

"Duke Crocker!" Eleanor said, looking affronted.

"It's fine," Audrey said with a laugh. "I'm a forward thinking girl. I can appreciate being appreciated."

"See, she understands," Duke said, waving one flour-dusted hand in Eleanor's direction. "The world's changed, El. You missed the rise of feminism. All those women getting up in a tizzy about their rights and equality. Was quite a time. You treat a woman nowadays just like she's anyone else and she'll respect you more for it than if you treat her like a porcelain doll."

"All I'm saying is that a little chivalry wouldn't hurt you, Crocker," Eleanor said disapprovingly.

"I am chivalrous," Duke countered. "Hold doors, lend a lady a jacket, all those things."

"He is quite the gentleman," Audrey said in his defence. "His mouth may run away with him sometimes, but he means well." Duke grinned and nodded in gratitude.

"Right, now Audrey, how'd you like to learn to make the greatest biscuits you'll ever eat?" Duke asked. Audrey jumped up eagerly to join him at the counter as he walked her through the finer steps of powdering and shaping the spots of dough. She had learnt more about cooking in the last month than in her entire life before.

Duke and Audrey enjoyed their breakfast as the rest of the biscuits cooked in the cavernous ovens, and then they set about the time-consuming task of delivering breakfast to every person in the manor. They loaded up a cart each and would distribute them by hall, leaving them sitting in front of the marked doors. Once a cart was empty they returned to the kitchen for more, until every one of the fifty or so occupants of the manor had been served.

"Finished?" Audrey asked when she returned her cart to find Duke in the kitchen.

"Just one last one," he said. "After I deliver it, do you want to take a ride around the grounds. The snow's stopped and the sun's come out. It should be lovely." Audrey agreed and fell into step with him as they made their way up to the third floor. Duke walked up to the large curtains concealing the staircase and deposited the tray on the floor. Then he pulled a thick cord and somewhere above them Audrey heard a bell.

"Does he ever come down?" Audrey asked curiously as they walked away. "I've been here weeks and never see him."

"Not much, he keeps to himself," Duke said. "The only times I see him much are when he asks me to invite you to dinner." He glanced sideways at her. "You really ought to have dinner with him, just once."

"I told you, I want nothing to do with that monster," she said firmly, crossing her arms for good measure.

"Alright, alright," Duke relented. "It was just a suggestion. Now come on, there should be some gloves and scarves in the hall cupboard."

They both wrapped themselves in scarves and hats and gloves before stepping out into the brisk winter air. The snow was deep, and they left trails behind them as they pushed through the snow to the stables. Jess greeted them with a smile and helped Audrey to saddle her horse. Once they'd finished, Duke and Audrey set off on their usual circuit of the property, riding in a circle just inside of the trees.

As they were riding, Audrey noticed that theirs weren't the only tracks. There were paw prints in the snow, half-buried but still visible. Remembering the howling she sometimes heard at night, she hurried to catch up with Duke. "He's a wolf, isn't he?" she asked.

"Or something like it," Duke agreed. "Wolf-like, but he's still human underneath, I think."

"Does he come out here at nights?" she pressed. "Sometimes I hear the worst howling, it's so.." She trailed off, unable to find a word for the feeling those howls evoked in her.

"Some nights, I'd imagine," he said. "There are other wolves in the area as well though so it may be them you're hearing." He looked up at the manor and shrugged. "But I know he doesn't stay up in his room all the time. I've heard him coming in in the early hours of the morning."

Audrey nodded and drifted off into her own thoughts. The more she thought about it, the more she realised that she really didn't know much of anything about her strange host. It wasn't that she was looking to be his friend - how could she after everything that he'd done to her, and especially to Dwight? - but she was curious. What had caused this? What made him the way he was? Who was he?

"You're starting to shiver," Duke said suddenly, startling her. Audrey hadn't been paying attention, but at some point, the cold had leeched through her coat and skirts, and she was trembling as she clung to the reins. "Come on, back inside. Eleanor'll kill me if you catch a cold."

Duke led the way back to the stables and then eventually back into the house. "It's nearly time for me to start lunch," he said, glancing at his watch. "But first I think I'm going to go change. My trousers are a bit wet." He gestured at the lower half of his trouser legs, which were damp from the melted snow.

"You know where I'll be," Audrey said, and Duke grinned in response. When he turned and headed down the halls toward his room, Audrey made her way up to the library. She picked up her book from where she'd left it on a table and stood by the fireplace to read, letting the heat of the roaring flames dry the dampness at the bottom of her skirts.

It only took her fifteen minutes to finish the book and by that time she was feeling particularly warm from the fire. She peeled off her coat and left it on one of the armchairs, the warm, dry air of the library feeling good on her bare arms. She smiled to herself as she went to replace the book on the shelves and find a new one.

Curious, she walked along the shelves, her head tilted sideways to read the titles off the spines as she went. A few things stuck out to her but none of them immediately grabbed her attention. She was so intent on the books that she didn't pay attention to her feet, treading on the hem of her long skirts. Her ankle twisted beneath her and she pitched forward with a yelp.

A pair of arms stopped her inches from hitting the floor. Audrey let out a breath as she stared at the parquet flooring. "Need a hand?" a deep voice asked from above her.

"No thanks, I'm fine," Audrey retorted sarcastically.

"Very well then," the voice said and the arms immediately loosened around Audrey's waist. Audrey squeaked in alarm and grasped the man's wrists. She heard a short chuckle from him as the man pulled her upright and steadied her on her feet.

"Not funny," Audrey said, smoothing out the front of her dress. "But thank you." She pivoted and startled.

The man towering over her was covered from head to toe in scars. Jagged lines and pink ripples; crisscrossing white slashes and knobby spots. There was a spiderweb of dark pink lines that covered the left side of his neck and face, marks Audrey had only seen on a man from her neighbourhood who had been struck by lightning. A trio of thick, knotted scars ran from his defined cheekbone up, across his right eye and into his dark hair.

"My apologies," he said, his tone a rich, rugged bass. "And you're welcome."

Audrey smiled as he inclined his head respectfully to her. Once the immediate shock had worn off, she was able to look at him more objectively. He was tall and lean with closely shorn brown hair and sharp angles to his face. Dressed in a linen shirt that tucked into his dark tan trousers and a pair of boots that came to his knees, he was clothed every bit like a Regency-era gentleman.

"Really, thank you," she insisted. "You likely just saved me from some very embarrassing bruises."

"I am glad I could be of service, Miss Parker," he said, his lips quirking up slightly on one side. Audrey noticed that his eyes, keen and piercing, were the same blue-gray of the sea before a storm.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" she asked curiously.

It seemed the man looked momentarily surprised, his eyes widening ever so slightly, but then his expression was neutral again so quickly Audrey wondered if she might've imagined it. "I do not believe so," he said. "Word travels quickly around the manor, I knew of your presence shortly after your arrival."

Audrey smiled and offered her hand. "Well, to officially introduce myself, my name's Audrey."

The man took her hand and pressed a chaste kiss to her knuckles. "A pleasure to meet you, Audrey," he said. "My name is Nathan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun, plot twist! Bet you didn't see that one coming ;)


	13. Chapter Twelve

"Nice to meet you," she said as Nathan released her hand.

"I should let you return to what you were doing," he said, gesturing at the bookshelves and then turning to examine the nearest shelf himself. Audrey made to continue her browsing, but when she stepped forward, the foot that had caught in her skirts trembled beneath her, a shooting pain climbing through her calf. She winced and stumbled, and the man was at her side in a second, one arm around her back supportively.

"Are you well?" he asked, his high brow furrowed in concern.

"I think I turned my ankle is all," she said, straightening up again.

"You should sit," he said and ushered her, limping, to the closest armchair. He fetched one of the low ottomans and Audrey set her ankle on it. "May I?" he asked, gesturing at her injured limb. Audrey nodded, and he nudged her skirts aside. Although his hands were hard and calloused, he traced the lines of her ankle almost tenderly.

"Will I live?" she asked playfully after a long moment of silence.

The man glanced up at her, and his lips twitched again. "You will survive," he agreed. "A slight turn, perhaps a small bruise." They sat there for a moment and then he abruptly seemed to realise he was still cradling her foot in his palms. He immediately set it on the cushion and stood, clasping his hands behind his back. "Were you looking for anything in particular? Perhaps I can fetch it for you?"

"Oh, I was just browsing, passing the time," Audrey said. "I've never seen you here before."

"I have recently decided to pick up reading again," he said. "However, if you ever need a recommendation, I can be of some help. I know this place better than most. I have been here quite some time."

"I can tell," she said. The man arched an eyebrow at her questioningly. "The way you dress," she answered the unspoken question. "People stopped wearing clothes like that a long time ago."

"Meanwhile, your fashion is misleading," he said. "I know that you have not been here so long as to be accustomed to a dress like that." His lips quivered slightly, and he added, "If you were, you would know how to walk in one without falling."

Audrey smirked and shrugged. "I felt like something fancy," she said. "There's no short supply of clothes to try on around here."

"It suits you nicely," he added. Audrey noticed that his eyes lingered on the whiteness of her exposed arms and collarbones, and she felt heat creep up the back of her neck.

"I imagine I'm not like the sort of girls you're used to, whenever you're from," she said.

"Quite," he agreed. "You are a singular kind, Miss Parker."

The heat continued up into her ears, and she tried to focus on other things to clear her mind. There was something in the intensity of Nathan's eyes and the directness of his tone that made his every comment powerful. Audrey's mind raced frantically for something to say, but she was saved by the sound of the library doors opening.

"Audrey?" Duke called. Nathan jumped slightly, blinking as if he'd been pulled from a daydream.

"Here," she responded.

Duke appeared around the end of the bookshelves, but his eyes had barely landed on her when he suddenly stopped short. "Oh, my apologies," he said. "I didn't realise I was interrupting."

"Nathan here was just helping me," Audrey said. "I tripped over my skirts and turned my ankle."

"Nathan?" Duke asked, glancing at the man in question. "Right, of course, Nathan. It's been a while." The men stared at each other for a minute, and Audrey felt that they were having a conversation without words. Finally, Duke seemed to rouse and he looked down at her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said. "My ankle just stings a little."

"I should fetch you some something cold for it," Duke said. "Nathan, would you join me? We should catch up."

Nathan considered him thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, of course, it has been some time," he agreed. "If you'll excuse me, Miss Parker." Audrey nodded and watched the two men walk away with the feeling that something much more important than it seemed had just happened.

* * *

Duke waited until the library doors were shut securely behind them before rounding on Nathan. "What are you playing at?" he asked in a rushed whisper.

"I just wanted to meet her, that's all," Nathan said unconcernedly. "Everyone else has."

"You know he's not going to like it," Duke pointed out. "I saw the way you were looking at her. That's more than just meeting her."

Nathan scowled. "He was not making any progress with her," he said. "Six weeks and she still refuses even to speak with him. I thought I should at least have the opportunity to try."

"It's your funeral," Duke said, shaking his head. Nathan made a warning noise. "I'm just saying, he may not like you making eyes at her. Not when there's clearly something more to her than he's letting on."

"I don't see how it's any of his business who I do or do not speak with," Nathan said. "I am trapped here just the same as any of you, why should I not try to find some peace and comfort while I am here?" His voice lowered, and he added, "Like you have with Jennifer?"

Duke's eyes widened and he coloured. "How did you know about that?"

"I just want a chance," Nathan continued.

Duke sighed heavily. "I just don't want her to get hurt. She's a good girl, and she doesn't deserve any of this, let alone you making everything harder for her."

"I don't want to hurt her either," Nathan said. "I just want to know her. There's something special about her, you know it."

"He seems to think so," Duke agreed. "Do you know anything about that?"

Nathan looked determinedly at his hand, the one he had used to take Audrey's, and rubbed his fingertips together. "If a man who can feel nothing suddenly meets a girl whose touch he can feel, would you consider that fate?"

"You can-?" Duke stopped, staring at Nathan in awe. "Are you serious?"

"I took her hand, and I felt it," Nathan said, and there was wonder in his voice. He couldn't bring himself to look up from his fingers, the ones that he had felt just minutes ago. "The warmth, the softness. It's the first thing I've felt in over a hundred years." He met Duke's gaze, and there was something deep and melancholy in his eyes. "You know as well as I that she is immune to the effects of this manor. I just want a chance to understand her. To find out why. Perhaps it will offer the opportunity to save us all."

"Is there something you know that I don't?" Duke asked suspiciously.

The corner of Nathan's mouth twitched. "A large number of things, I would imagine."

Duke gave him an exasperated look, rolling his eyes. "Very well, keep your secrets. Just - tread carefully. And if you hurt Audrey, know that even the master won't be able to protect you."

"Understood," Nathan said. Then he turned on his heel and disappeared up the hidden staircase. Shaking his head, Duke headed for the kitchens to fetch something for Audrey's ankle.

* * *

Audrey lounged in the armchair, her throbbing ankle propped up on the ottoman, and watched the gap between bookshelves where the men had disappeared. There was something strange going on between them, that much she could tell. She couldn't fathom a guess at exactly why Duke had been so surprised to see Nathan.

Of course, the more she thought about it, the more she began to wonder why today was the first time she had met Nathan. In the six weeks that she had been in the manor, she had met a great many people - even introducing herself to some of the people locked away behind doors by calling to them through the wood - but of Nathan she had neither seen nor heard. Where had he been hiding?

The door to the library opened, and a moment later Duke stepped around the bookshelf, carrying a small towel. "Here, let me see," he said, kneeling beside the ottoman. He touched her ankle gingerly and then wrapped it in the damp towel, which had been soaked in cold water. Audrey shivered, and her leg broke out in gooseflesh. "All better, you'll be up and about in no time."

"Thank you," Audrey said. "Where's Nathan?"

"Returned to his room, I would imagine," Duke said, and his smile had tightened. He perched himself on the arm of the chair in front of her. "He doesn't get out much."

"What's the story with him?" Audrey asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

Duke frowned, deep in thought. "He's been here the longest of anyone I know," he said slowly, clearly thinking over his every word carefully. "He's something of a personal assistant to the master, and the only one allowed in the attic apart from Jennifer. Aside from that, I don't know much about him. He keeps to himself."

"He helps the master?" Audrey asked. "How can he handle being around that monster all the time?"

"I guess he's just used to him by now," Duke said with a shrug. "Like I said, he's been here a long time; a bit over a hundred years, I think."

"A hundred years?" Audrey gasped. "He's been here that long? How could someone handle being here so long without going mad?"

Duke snorted. "His sanity is still up to question," he said. "Personally, I think he's spent a bit too much time alone in his rooms." He lifted the dishcloth from her ankle to check the swelling. "Well, I need to go get started on lunch. Do you want to join me or would you rather stay here?"

Audrey flexed her foot and winced. "I think I'll stay," she said. "If you could just grab me a book..."

"Any book?" he asked, and Audrey nodded. Duke walked over and pulled a book off the shelf, passing it to her. "Rest up; I'll bring your lunch up to you." He touched her shoulder fondly and then left. Audrey opened the book, _Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded_ , but she couldn't focus on the pages. No matter what she did, her mind kept drifting back to the mysterious Nathan.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

By the next day Audrey's ankle had returned to normal and she had gone back to her usual schedule. Instead of taking a walk outside because of the heavy snow, she spent her morning watching Garland puttering around the conservatory over the top of her book. He pruned and weeded the plants with a sort of tenderness and concentration that she had so rarely seen in the normally distant and stoic older man. It was a new side to him and she appreciated the glimpse.

Truth be told, Audrey had an ulterior motive in not taking a proper walk as well. Apart from the fact that she didn't want to aggravate her injured ankle, she was also exhausted. Sleep had not come easy to her the night before. The world outside hadn't been helpful either; the wolves on the property were especially noisy, howling at the near full moon until the early hours of the morning. Most of all though, it was her own mind that had kept her up. It was full of questions, and all of them seemed to centre around one subject in particular.

"What's on your mind, Miss Parker?" Garland asked without looking up from the fern he was trimming. Audrey raised her eyebrows curiously and he smirked. "You've been staring a hole in those flowers for the better part of an hour now."

Audrey flushed at being caught. "You've been here for a long time, haven't you?"

"Very," he agreed. "Nearly as long as the master himself."

"So you know Nathan then, right?" Audrey asked curiously.

Garland's hands fumbled and he missed the branch he had been trying to cut. "You met Nathan?"

Audrey's brow furrowed at his reaction. "Yeah, I ran into him in the library yesterday," she said. "Almost literally."

"I'm surprised," Garland said, going back to his trimming. "He keeps to himself, mostly."

"So I've heard," Audrey said. She plucked a leaf off a nearby flower and twirled it between her fingers. "Duke said he works with the master, is some kind of assistant to him." Garland grunted and she assumed that meant he agreed. "What exactly does that mean?"

"Don't know, it's not my job," he said. "I know he fetches things for the master sometimes, delivers messages for him. Apart from that, I don't know what he gets up to."

"What do you know about him?" Audrey asked.

He set down his shears and pulled a cigarette from his pocket. He lit it with a match and took a long draw. "I know he's damn stubborn," he said with a huff that she assumed was his interpretation of a laugh, smoking curling from the corners of his lips as he did. "Been here since the early 1800s. He was here before me and I arrived in 1821. I know he doesn't much like people. The few times he leaves his rooms, he doesn't say much to anyone." He took another draw on his cigarette. "Don't be surprised if you don't see him again."

Audrey nodded as Garland went back to work. She lifted her book, pretending to read, but she couldn't concentrate on the words. Part of her hoped she didn't see him again. There was something about Nathan's intensity and forcefulness that made her intimidated and uncomfortable.

On the other hand, something about it stirred her spirit as well. Nathan was a challenge, a mystery to be figured out, and Audrey relished a good puzzle.

 

* * *

 

Weeks passed and Audrey saw neither hide nor hair of Nathan again, although she kept an eye out for him when she wandered the manor. No one that she asked could tell her much of anything about him either, not even Jennifer, who was apparently the master's only other confidante. All they ever said was that he was quiet and kept to himself, and that she shouldn't expect to see him again for a long time, if at all.

So she gave up searching for him. She still glanced at the maroon curtain every time she passed it on her way to the library but no one ever stepped out to greet her so she continued on her way. She went back to her horse rides with Duke and Eleanor began teaching her to sew - she was not gifted at it, but by the end of November she could fix a seam and attach buttons. She helped Garland tend the plants in the conservatory and the greenhouses, and learned about history and etiquette firsthand from Jennifer.

Mostly though, she kept to the library. Any free time that she had was spent bent over a book, her mind millions of miles away with the characters on their grand adventures. Come December she had read an entire shelf's worth of books and continued to devour them at a staggering rate.

The first Sunday in December, Audrey had just finished reading Robinson Crusoe. She slid it back into its place on the shelf and set off on her habitual trek around the library in search of something new. Instead of reading them in order, she liked to browse titles until something stuck out to her and caught her fancy. She traced her fingers along book spines as she walked, squinting at the faded scripts printed on their leather covers.

Rounding a corner, Audrey collided with something solid. As she tipped backwards she felt hands close around her arms and pull her back up. She looked up to thank her saviour and startled as she met the blue-gray gaze.

"Miss Parker," Nathan said.

"Nathan," she responded breathlessly. Gathering her wits, she added, "We have really got to stop meeting like this."

The corner of his lips twitched ever so slightly. "Did you escape this time without injury?"

"I think so," Audrey said, giving herself a quick once-over. "Nothing damaged but my pride."

"That which is most difficult to mend," Nathan observed.

"Oh, sorry," she said hastily when she realised she was standing on his foot.

Nathan glanced down as if he hadn't noticed. "It's fine."

"Hmm, mister tough guy, huh?" Audrey looked up at him again and before she could stop herself the words came tumbling from her lips. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you in weeks."

"I had other things to attend to," he said simply. His expression softened. "My apologies. I did want to see you again."

"Was it the master that kept you?" she asked. The brief flash of tightness that pulled at his lips was answer enough. "I don't know how you can stand to serve him."

"It is complicated," Nathan said. "How are you settling in to the manor? Jennifer said that you have made yourself at home."

"As at home as I can be in a prison," she responded, only a little bitterly. "The people here are nice, they've been very good to me."

"I am glad to hear it," Nathan said and he sounded it. "I know that the situation is not ideal but the people here are good people, despite their backgrounds." Audrey remembered what Eleanor had said about the troubles being triggered by sins in the past, and she found herself wondering what Nathan had done. "I heard what you did, to save your cousin. That was quite admirable of you."

"Everyone keeps saying that," Audrey said. "It doesn't make it any easier."

For a second something like pain flickered across Nathan's scarred face. "We have all lost people here, Audrey," he said softly, his eyes downcast. The open ache in his voice struck her harder than if he had shouted it at her and she was suddenly filled with guilt. It had never occurred to her that she wasn't the only one who must have lost family because of their imprisonment.

"I'm sorry," she said. She reached out and touched his forearm gently but Nathan still flinched. "I shouldn't take it out on the rest of you. You didn't do anything wrong."

Nathan licked his lips and then looked up, his expression once more the schooled stoicism that seemed to be his default face. "Are you searching for yet another book?" he asked.

"Yes, again," Audrey admitted with a laugh. "At this rate I shall finish the entire library before the year is out."

"I doubt even you are so quick a reader," he said, the corner of his lip quirking. Audrey was beginning to realise that this little twitch of the mouth was as close as Nathan got to smiling. "Do you have anything in particular in mind, or may I make a recommendation?"

"Oh please do," Audrey said. "I was just waiting for something to catch my attention."

Nathan nodded and walked away through the shelves. After his eyes had browsed the shelves for a moment, he picked out a slim book. "It will not take someone of your prowess long to read, but I think you will enjoy it," he said, offering it to her. Audrey glanced curiously at the title: _Fantomina; Or Love in a Maze_. "Miss Haywood was quite a revolutionary in her time, perhaps one of the earliest feminist writers. I feel that a woman of passion such as you will find a kindred spirit in her."

"A woman of passion?" she asked curiously, arching an eyebrow.

"Is my assumption wrong?" he asked in return.

"I find it surprising that you have had time to make assumptions about my character in the short time we have known each other," she said. "Is one chance meeting enough to know a person?"

"One meeting was enough of a glimpse to know that you are a woman who does nothing by halves," Nathan said. "You devote yourself entirely to those things you pursue, to the tasks you undertake, and to the people for which you care."

Audrey flushed. "You are quite forward," she commented.

"My apologies," Nathan said. "I have spent a very long time removed from civilisation, and I must admit I was never very good at proper social convention."

"I never would have guessed," she said in amusement. "And I also never said that it was a bad thing."

"You are swiftly becoming the most fascinating person I know, Miss Parker," Nathan said with another fidget of his lips. He glanced down at the book in her hands. "I should allow you to return to your reading. You will have to tell me what you think of that book when you finish it."

"So I _will_ see you again then?" Audrey asked. "You're not going to disappear for another few months again, are you?"

"You will see me," he agreed. 


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Despite her hesitation, Nathan kept his word. The very next day when Audrey came into the library she found Nathan sitting at one of the long tables. He was bent over what he was working on, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Good morning, Miss Parker," he said without looking up.

"What are you doing?" Audrey asked curiously.

Nathan straightened up and revealed a pad of sketching paper on the table in front of him. When Audrey leaned across the table to see better he turned it so it was facing her. On the page was a beautifully drawn charcoal image of the manor house, only how it must have looked when Nathan had arrived because there were no overgrown vines or crumbling pillars. It was only halfway done, but even still she could tell that he was incredibly talented.

"Nathan, this is gorgeous," she said, leaning in to examine the minute details he had added around the front door.

"Thank you," he said and she was surprised to see that his ears had gone pink.

"I didn't know you could draw," she added.

Nathan nodded, turning the sketch paper back around to himself and picking up his discarded charcoal pencil. "It is a skill I have honed over my time here," he confessed. "I was given basic lessons as a boy - all men of god society are expected to be gifted in some way - but I did not take to it until my arrival here."

"What about it caught your fancy?" Audrey asked. It seemed he was in a rare, talkative mood and she was eager for the opportunity to learn more about the mysterious man.

"I have developed a heightened sense of sight, and I find this a good way to utilise it," he said. Then before Audrey could press him for more details, he said, "How are you enjoying the book so far?"

"It's wonderful," she said eagerly. "You were right, I love it. She has such a fascinating voice, and the humour is brilliant."

"I am glad to hear it," Nathan said and she thought she saw something like satisfaction in his eyes. "I should not keep you from your reading."

"And you'll want to go back to your drawing," Audrey said. She recognised the dismissal in his voice and she knew that his social time was over. She took a seat in the nearest armchair and opened her book while Nathan bent over his sketch again. The room was silent but for the scratch of charcoal on paper, but it was comfortable. Audrey had never been fond of the quiet, but with Nathan's steady presence in the room it was almost peaceful. They stayed that way until nearly dinnertime, when Nathan excused himself with a bow of his head.

After that day they quickly fell into a new routine. When Audrey arrived in the library after lunch, Nathan was always there. Some days he was sketching, others he was reading, but he always stopped what he was doing to greet her. They would exchange pleasantries, he would recommend a new book if she had finished hers, and then they would both return to their own pursuits.

A week after they had begun meeting regularly, Audrey stopped moving to an armchair to read and instead started taking the seat across the table from him. Whenever she read something particularly insightful or funny, she would read it aloud to him. Some days he simply smiled and nodded, but on others he would stop his work and they would discuss it at great length. Audrey found that although his moods were sometimes fickle and unpredictable, he was deep and insightful, and he saw the world in a way so different from her own perceptions.

"Ah, Voltaire," he said one day when she sat down across from him with a new book. " _Candide_ , the book of optimism. 'It is the obstinacy of maintaining that everything is best when it is worst.'”

"You've read it?" Audrey asked.

"Many times," he said. "It's a commendable work of satire, Voltaire's greatest work if you ask me."

Audrey traced a fingernail along the golden embossed title. "It seems a bit silly to me, really," she said. "That pointless, never-failing optimism. It's so naive, believing that things are always going to turn out perfectly."

"You're not an optimist?" Nathan asked curiously.

"You are?" she replied with a quirk of the eyebrow.

Nathan's lips twitched. "'I have wanted to kill myself a hundred times, but somehow I am still in love with life,'" he quoted, reaching across to tap the cover of the book.

Audrey rolled the words around in her mind pensively while Nathan's scarred face remained impassive. "Have you?" she asked. He raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Wanted to kill yourself, I mean?"

"I have been trapped in this house for over a hundred years," he said by way of response, leveling her in his intense, blue-gray stare. "There were so many days where I thought surely death must be easier than living in this hell, but I can never go through with it. I have to hope because I have to believe that there is a reason. That I have lived all this time - that my life has been spared - for a purpose. That is why I choose optimism."

Audrey shuddered under his piercing gaze and the weight of his words. Again she found that she could not even begin to comprehend the magnitude of what he had experienced, of the wondrous thoughts he must have had with a century of existence behind him. She looked down at her hands, folded on top of her book, to escape the pressure of his eyes.

"My apologies," Nathan said. "I have been forward again."

"Thank you," she said and glanced up at him through her lashes. He blinked, clearly surprised. "For being so honest. Ever since I got here it's felt like people are keeping secrets and trying to hide and sugarcoat things. You don't do that, and it's nice."

Nathan watched her for a moment and then the corner of his lips curved up. "You continue to surprise me, Miss Parker."

Audrey smiled coquettishly at him, opening up her book to the place she had marked the night before. "I aim to please," she said in reply before disappearing into the pages of her book.

As the afternoon passed Audrey couldn't shake the sensation that she was being watched. Every once in a while she would look up to catch Nathan hastily looking down at his sketches again. For a while she let the odd behaviour slide - after all, he was prone to being a bit odd. She imagined that a century of imprisonment and being trapped in time would do that to a person. Finally though it was getting so bad that she was having a hard time concentrating on her reading.

"You're staring again," she noted the next time she felt his eyes on her. She looked up in time to see him diverting his gaze again. "What is it? Do I have something on my face?"

"No, not at all," he said. He twisted the charcoal pencil between his long fingers in what she had come to recognise as a sign of anxiety. "I did not mean to alarm you. I was merely - I mean the way that the light-" He gestured vaguely in her direction, looking at a loss for words.

Audrey's brow furrowed until the answer came to her in a flash. "Are you sketching me?"

"I hope you do not mind. I can stop if it's bothering you," he said quickly. "It's just the way that the light from that window is hitting your face, it is quite - nice."

Fire blossomed in her cheeks at the insinuation of his comment and his stumbled speech. Nathan had always been a man of few words, but he always knew which words he wanted to use and used them directly. The fact that he was having a hard time finishing his sentences was surely a sign of something. Her stomach fluttered at the thought.

"My apologies, I should not have presumed-"

"No," Audrey said. "Please, continue. I don't mind." With that she went back to her book, trying not to pay too much attention to what he was doing. There was a long moment of silence before the scratching of the charcoal pencil picked up again. Audrey forced herself not to think about him or the steady movements of his hands, although she still found herself reading the same lines several times before finally comprehending them.

The sun had sunk low on the horizon when Nathan finally set down his pencil. Audrey glanced up from her book curiously. "Finished?" she asked.

"I believe so," he said, scrutinising the page with his eyes narrowed in focus. "I can see nothing I can improve upon, although I still do not feel it an accurate representation."

"May I see it?" Audrey asked tentatively.

Nathan glanced up and for a moment he looked afraid. Unconsciously, he tilted the sketchpad higher so that it was even further hidden from her. He licked his lips, looked from her to the drawing and back, and then nodded. "I am not as gifted in drawing people," he warned her before setting the pad on the table and turning it to face her.

Audrey felt her book slip through her fingers and fall onto her lap. Staring up at her from the paper was a goddess, a woman with perfectly smooth features and elaborately arranged hair. The woman in the drawing was sitting half-hunched over an open book, her brow creased as she concentrated on the pages, but somehow she managed to convey a sense of height and grandeur that Audrey was sure she had never experienced in her life.

"Nathan, this is amazing," she breathed, afraid to even touch the drawing for fear of smudging one of the beautiful shadows that gave the drawing such depth. "It hardly even looks like me, she looks like an angel."

"It hardly does you justice." Audrey looked up and was struck when she met Nathan's gaze across the table. There was nothing but pure sincerity in his blue-gray eyes. Audrey glanced at the drawing again and realised that that was genuinely how he saw her. Heat rushed through her body and the air between them felt thick and static.

"Nathan this-" She stopped, for once in her life completely lost for words. What did one say when a man equated them to an angel? She swallowed hard and finally settled on, "Thank you."

Nathan's lips curved slightly and he nodded his head, his cheeks and ears turning a pale magenta. "You make a good subject," he said to his hands, unable to hold her gaze any longer.

Audrey smiled at his awkwardness. "You sure know how to charm a woman," she teased lightly and reached across the table to pat his hand. The moment her skin made contact with his, Nathan flinched away. "Why do you do that?" Audrey asked abruptly.

"What?" he asked.

"You flinch whenever I touch you," she pointed out. "If you don't like it, you only have to say something."

"It's not that," he said. He seemed to debate with himself for a moment before he said, "You know that the manor affects us all, and each of us differently, of course." Audrey nodded. "When I stepped onto the property, the curse took away my sense of touch."

"So when I stood on your foot, you really didn't feel that?" she asked. Nathan shook his head. "You can't feel pain. Can you feel fire?"

"No," Nathan said simply.

"What about ice?" she asked.

"Oddly enough, I can feel ice," he said.

Audrey glanced at him, startled, to find him giving her a heavily sarcastic look. "Oh, right," she said, realising he was teasing her. She tried to process all of this new information. Nathan couldn't feel anything. "So do you just not like being touched then?" she asked pensively.

"I can't feel anything, not even my own skin," he said, rubbing his hands together. "I haven't felt anything in over a hundred years. Nothing, until-" He reached across the table and took her hand, "you."

Wide eyed, Audrey looked from his face to their joined hands and back. "You can feel that?" she asked, flexing her fingers slightly for emphasis.

" _That_ is why I flinch every time you touch me," he said slowly. "It's not because I don't like it when you touch me, it's because I like it too much. Because as jarring as it is to finally feel something after all this time, it's also a miracle."

"Nathan, this is incredible," she said, wrapping his hand in both of hers. His thickly scarred knuckles were solid beneath her narrow fingertips. "But why me? What makes me so special?"

"That I do not know," he said. He spread his hand and let her sandwich it between hers, his eyes drifting shut. "I only know that for some reason the curse doesn't affect you the way it does the rest of us. For some reason you are different."

The clock on the mantlepiece chimed the hour loudly and Audrey jumped, so caught up in their conversation that she had forgotten the world around them. It seemed that Nathan was the same because he blinked several times before glancing at the window, where the sun was slowly sinking behind the treetops.

"I'm sorry, I should leave," he said, sliding his hand out from between hers. "It is getting late and I have business to attend. Another time." With that he grabbed his sketchpad, inclined his head to her respectfully, and then left the library.

Audrey sat and stared at the library doors for a long time after he had left. She brushed her palms together, the skin still warm from contact. It was impossible to believe that somehow she could counteract the curse that affected Nathan. She wondered if it was just him, or if there were others. If she was unaffected by the curse of everyone in the manor.

More than just that though, her thoughts kept drifting to that tense moment they had shared. It had felt electrically charged. For a moment she had been so sure that there was something between them, something that she had never felt with another person before.

Now though she couldn't be sure. Was he attracted to her, or was he simply drawn to her because he could feel her?

She glanced at the tabletop and saw that Nathan had forgotten his charcoal pencil. All at once her mind was full of the drawing he had done, the black and white angel on that paper. Talent or no, there was only one power strong enough to make that drawing as perfect and beautiful as it had been. There was more than just artistic curiosity behind it, there was emotion.

Either way, his motivations aside, there was no denying the strange flutter in her chest; she had grown fond of Nathan. 


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Christmas arrived on the back of a furious snowstorm that buried the manor beneath several inches of snow. Despite the heavy weather, the house was bustling with activity. Duke was already hard at work in the kitchens preparing an elaborate dinner. Meanwhile Eleanor and Audrey spent the afternoon decorating the dining hall, where Garland had erected the small pine tree he had hauled in the night before.

"Pass me that basket of ribbons, would you, dear?" Eleanor asked. Audrey handed her the basket of gold ribbons and then went back to stringing garland along the mantle. Once she had pinned it in place using the heavy golden candelabras as weights, she stepped back to admire her work.

"It looks lovely," Jennifer said from the mirror above the head of the table. She was joining in the festivities by braiding a strand of maroon ribbon from her dress into her dark hair. "And so do you, Audrey."

Audrey smiled and did a small twirl that made the skirt flare out. Eleanor had brought the dress up that morning, a beautiful masterpiece of cranberry silk and black chantilly lace. She had made it especially for the occasion and it fit Audrey like a glove. "Eleanor did a wonderful job," she said, glancing at the older woman fondly.

"It's a special occasion," Eleanor said brightly. She herself was dressed in a simple sheath of mint green with a sheer floaty shawl of the same colour draped around her shoulders. "We must all look our best for Christmas. Especially after the effort Duke is going to to make dinner for us all. You just wait, Audrey, it is superb. Christmases have been infinitely better since his arrival."

"Will the master be joining us?" Audrey asked, glancing at the empty chair at the head of the table.

"Doubtful," Eleanor said. "He rarely does for Christmas, I don't think he cares much for holidays. Of course, I haven't seen him leave his rooms in weeks. He has been keeping to himself more lately."

"He would still like to have dinner with you," Jennifer added, giving Audrey a significant look.

Audrey simply shrugged and went back to sorting through the box of ornaments that Garland had dug up for them. While she no longer held onto the burning anger she had once held toward the master of the house, she still was not in a place where she wanted to forgive him. Perhaps some day she would be willing to be civil and answer his summons, but not today.

"I think there is someone else that Audrey would rather take supper with," Eleanor said a bit slyly. When Audrey looked up at her, the older woman laughed. "Do not think me blind. You have been spending a great deal of time with that Nathan boy. I have seen the smile on your face after an evening spent with him. You are fond of him, aren't you?"

"We are friends," Audrey said evasively even as she felt heat creeping up the back of her neck. The truth was that she hadn't seen Nathan since the day he had told her he could feel her touch. It left her dazed and confused as to where exactly they stood - why would he reveal something so pivotal to her and then promptly start avoiding her?

"He must be incredibly fond of you," Jennifer said. "This is the most social he's been since I've been here."

Eleanor nodded her agreement. "I have seen him more in the last three weeks than in the sixty years before that," she said knowingly. "I suppose he finally has something worth coming out for."

"Speaking of..." Jennifer suddenly disappeared beyond the frame of the mirror. Audrey had just pulled out a stack of gold and glass baubles when the other woman stepped back into the glass. "Audrey, Nathan is in the library looking for you."

"Thank you, Jen," Audrey said gratefully, setting down the ornaments and dusting flaky glitter off her hands. Ignoring the significant looks that Eleanor and Jennifer exchanged none-too-subtly, Audrey left the dining hall with her heart in her throat. The path to the library was more familiar to her than even her old flat in London now and she travelled it in no time.

When Audrey pushed open the doors she immediately spotted Nathan standing in front of the fireplace. He was dressed in his traditional tan breeches and white shirtsleeves but with a black tailcoat over the top and a stiff white tie. His eyes landed on her and widened slightly. "Audrey, you look - nice," he said.

"You look rather nice yourself," she responded. "Happy Christmas."

"And to you," he said with a soft twitch of his lips.

"You disappeared on me again," Audrey accused.

Nathan dipped his head submissively. "I know, my apologies. It was a matter with the master that could not be avoided. I hope I did not give you the wrong impression."

"You told me that I'm the only one in the world that you can feel and then vanished for nearly a week," Audrey said drolly. "I don't see a way that can be taken in a good way."

He at least had the decency to look ashamed and he stared down at the toes of his tall boots. "There are no words I can say to express how much I regret my absence, but there was nothing I could do," he said earnestly. "I shouldn't even be here now, but I had to see you. And I wanted to give you this." From behind his back he drew out a square package wrapped in blue silk and tied with a white ribbon. "Happy Christmas."

"Nathan, I - I didn't get you anything," she said as he handed the package to her.

"Forgive me my absence and that is gift enough," he said with a curl of his lips.

Audrey smiled and turned her attention to the package. Carefully untying the ribbon, she slid the silk away. Inside was a pair of beautiful, antique books with embossed covers and gold-leafed pages. She turned to read the title off the side. The first read _De optimo rei publicae statu deque nova insula Utopia_ , while the second just said _Utopia_.

"It's from my personal collection," Nathan explained. "Sir Thomas More's _Utopia_ in the original Latin and an early English translation. I knew that you enjoyed it when you read it a few weeks ago. I thought perhaps you could start your own collection of all your favourite books. I am going to talk to the master about having a bookshelf put in your room so you can keep them there with you."

"Nathan, this is-" Audrey caressed the gold inlayed into the title as her heart rose to beat in her throat. Despite her best efforts, she felt tears burn the corners of her eyes at the thoughtfulness of the gesture. "This is perfect," she finished, looking up to meet his gaze. "Thank you, so much."

"So I'm forgiven?" Nathan asked hopefully.

In response, Audrey stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. When she dropped down to the balls of her feet again she could see that his eyes had widened. He lifted a hand to touch the spot she'd kissed and then the first, genuine smile Audrey had ever seen crossed his face. His cheeks darkened and he looked down, rubbing at his lower lip self-consciously.

"Anyway, I should probably return," he said.

"Come to dinner with me," Audrey said, taking his hand. "Duke is cooking a special dinner, we've decorated the dining hall, it's going to be fun."

Nathan stared at their intertwined fingers with a slightly dazed look on his face. Then he looked up at her sadly. "I wish I could," he said. "I genuinely do."

"Can't he just give you one night off?" Audrey asked, frustrated. "It's Christmas." Nathan smiled tightly but all he did was lean in and press a gentle, lingering kiss to her knuckles. With one last squeeze of her fingers, he turned on his heel and marched out of the library.

Audrey watched him go, torn between anger and sadness. She couldn't understand what hold the master had over Nathan. It seemed like there were only a few hours a day that he could escape, could freely walk the manor, and then he ran back the moment he was told. She didn't know what it was, but she didn't like it. It was just one more reason that she hated the master.

She looked down at the books in her hands and traced her hands over the covers gently. It was truly a perfect gift, something thoughtful and personal. Audrey felt her heart swell until it was almost painful, beating warm and hard in her chest. She only wished there was something as meaningful she could give him in return. The kiss on the cheek was something, a brief bit of feeling for the man who felt nothing, but she wanted to do something more.

Audrey shook her head. There was nothing she could do now and it was nearly dinnertime. She walked down and carefully set the books on her bedside table before she went back to the dining hall. She was greeted by the smell of warm food and pine, and the sight of a table surrounded by laughing people.

"Audrey!" Duke called cheerfully, toasting her with his wine glass. "Glad you could finally join us." He gestured to the empty chair between him and the head of the table. Audrey smiled as she slipped into the spot and let him start dishing up her plate. He poured her a glass of red wine and winked playfully.

Standing up, he lifted his glass again. "To good food, if I say so myself, and to good friends - or at least good cellmates," he toasted loudly. "Cheers!" Everyone laughed as they tapped their glasses against their neighbours' before drinking.

"Happy Christmas, everyone," Eleanor said. "Now let's eat, shall we?"

Audrey had never been part of a more entertaining Christmas dinner. Not only was the food delicious but the company was pleasurable as well. Duke kept up an animated string of stories and anecdotes whenever the conversation lulled, which wasn't often. There were more people in the room at once than Audrey had ever seen; every resident of Haven House that could safely leave their room had come down to dinner. They were all smiling and happy and for just a brief moment Audrey could forget that they were all prisoners, that they were all cursed. For tonight, they were all just friends celebrating a holiday together.

 

 


	17. Chapter Sixteen

_Northern Coast of German-Occupied France_

The distant sound of gunfire broke Dwight from a light sleep and he bolted upright in his cot. So far in his time in France they had managed to stay far back from the fighting, mostly tending to injured soldiers who were brought back from the frontlines, but the Nazis had been inching ever closer as the winter progressed. By the sounds of it, the first German scouts had arrived.

There were shouts of alarm as soldiers started throwing themselves out of bed and Dwight jumped up with them, grabbing his gear. As a medic he wasn't meant to be on the frontlines but it was better to be prepared. He followed his squadron out of the tents and into the muddy fields. It was cold out, everything painted in various shades of gray and brown. In the early dawn light Dwight saw a group of soldiers running at them.

The other soldiers were lined up at the front, forming ranks against the oncoming Nazis. Dwight settled himself in at the back, readying his gun in case the fighting broke through to a point where he was needed. Already he could hear the sharp reports of gunshots being chased by screams. Dwight squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to imagine the men he had grown close to over the last few months bleeding out in the snow.

"Hendrickson, let's go!" Lucassi, the other medic of the group, shouted. Dwight nodded and gathered up his supplies before charging forward into the fighting. His face was spattered in gore as the man directly in front of him suddenly collapsed, a bullet in his forehead. Dwight barely had time to react before it happened, an explosive, searing pain through his shoulder.

"I'm hit," he gasped out, staggering back a step. He looked up and his brow furrowed as the world seemed to slow. He watched Lucassi fire a shot, and the bullet had barely gone ten feet before it made a wide turn and swung back at them. Dwight didn't react fast enough and the bullet buried itself in his thigh.

"What the hell?" Lucassi said, staring at his gun in confusion. Dwight's brain was spinning on high speed as he saw flecks of gold arching around and turning back toward him. Panicked, he ran back as fast as he could on his injured leg and threw himself behind the safety of the steel supply crates. His ear rang as the bullets pinged off the metal.

Grabbing a minute to take stock of himself, he pinpointed three other spots of pain. He had taken a shot to the side, another in his shoulder, and one in his lower back. Not fatal yet, but if they couldn't stop the bleeding, he wouldn't last long. Behind him he could hear the screams of his comrades but he didn't dare climb out from the shelter of the steel crates. He couldn't explain it but for some reason it seemed like the bullets were magnetically attracted to him. He could hear the confused shouts of the nearest soldiers as their bullets missed their targets and instead swung back, striking his hiding spot.

Dwight pressed a hand to the hole in his side and looked skyward. "What the hell is happening to me?"

 

 


	18. Chapter Seventeen

In the early hours of the morning Audrey woke up with her face pressed against the pages of _Utopia_. She rubbed her eyes blearily and sat up, carefully smoothing out the pages of the book before closing it. A low light flickered across the bedside from the candle she had been reading by, which had burnt itself down to a stub after she had fallen asleep . Her bladder twinged and she realised why she had woken.

Stretching, Audrey got out of bed. The stone floor was cold on her feet and she scurried over to slip into her boots. Her dress was wrinkled but she could care less as she wrapped herself in a warm jumper. Gathering up her skirts, she hurried out into the hall in search of the toilets. The nearest one was several halls away and she half-ran through the corridors, wanting to get there and back into bed as quickly as she could.

She had just rounded the corner when she collided with someone and they both went sprawling. Audrey looked up and met the girl's eyes for a split second before the girl hastily hid her face in her hands. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," the girl stammered out frantically, awkwardly trying to get to her feet with one hand still over her eyes.

"It's okay, I'm fine," Audrey said. "Are you?"

The girl, maybe a year younger than Audrey, stumbled over her skirt and fell back to the ground. "I'm sorry, just - just look away and I'll be gone, I promise."

"I know you," Audrey said in realisation. "I saw you at dinner, you were wearing a blindfold. Jacqueline, right?"

"I'm sorry, I only came out to use the restroom, I didn't want to wake Bryan this early," Jacqueline said quickly. "I didn't think anyone else would be awake at this time."

"Why are you hiding your face?" Audrey asked.

"It's my curse," Jacqueline said. "When people look at me, when they see my eyes, they see horrible things. Their worst fears. I scare people."

"But I saw you," Audrey said. "When we fell, I saw your eyes and I didn't see anything else." Her mind was racing and Audrey stood up. "I haven't been affected by the curse, and Nathan's curse, somehow I can negate it. Maybe - maybe I can do the same with you."

She walked over and knelt next to the girl. She set a hand on her shoulder but Jacqueline flinched away. Audrey took the hand the girl was using to shield her face and gently pulled it away. Jacqueline had her eyes squeezed shut. "Open your eyes, Jackie," Audrey said gently.

"I don't want to scare you," Jacqueline said.

"You won't, I promise," Audrey said. "Just open your eyes."

Jacqueline hesitated for a second before she opened her eyes to a squint. Audrey maintained eye contact with her and when nothing happened Jacqueline opened her eyes a little wider. When she didn't run away screaming, Jacqueline's eyes shot open and she smiled. "You're not screaming," she said.

"Because all I see is a girl with beautiful eyes," Audrey said.

"This is incredible," Jacqueline said, laughing in her excitement. Her eyes welled up with tears and she covered her mouth with a hand. "I haven't looked anyone in the eye in seventy years. Not even my husband. How is this possible?"

"I don't know," Audrey said, shaking her head. "For some reason I'm - immune to the curse. It doesn't affect me like it affects everyone else." Audrey stood up and offered her hand down to help Jacqueline. Her mind went to Nathan and their conversation about how she was different. "I'll come visit you again later, but there's someone I need to tell about this."

Forgoing the restroom, Audrey headed for the upper floor. She raced down the hall until she reached the maroon curtain. Her steps faltered and she hesitated at the bottom of the hidden staircase. The attic was forbidden but she also knew that the master was gone at nights. If she was quick, she could be in, find Nathan, and be out again before the master knew anything.

Audrey steeled herself and then shoved the curtain aside. The staircase wrapped in a tight spiral and she jogged upward as quietly as she could. It dead ended at a wide wooden door that looked like it had seen better days, with heavy scratches marring its surface and the knob. Audrey cautiously opened it, peering through the crack. The room beyond was enormous, dark, and silent.

"Nathan?" Audrey hissed. When there was no response she slid the door further open and slipped into the room. The room took up the entire top floor of the manor and was cluttered with upturned furniture, most of it broken and slashed. The only things that were in one piece were a large, four-poster bed with two of the posts fractured off, and a giant gilded mirror that hung on the wall.

"Nathan?" Audrey asked uncertainly, looking around the dimly lit room. There were no other doors, no secondary rooms branching off. Duke said that Nathan lived up here but she couldn't see any place where he could be. "Nathan, are you here?"

Curious, Audrey wandered the room in search of some place where Nathan could be staying. She walked passed the bed, with its scarlet blankets strewn halfway onto the floor. A beam of moonlight caught something on the wall and Audrey paused. It was a large portrait frame the canvas cut diagonally with four long claw marks. There were faces on it but she couldn't make them out around the slashes. Tentatively she reached up and smoothed out the loose flap of canvas enough to make out a face, a beautiful young woman with red curls framing her face, and in her arms was a bundle of blankets.

"What are you doing?!"

Audrey span around so quickly she fell backward against the wall. The master of the house was standing near the door to the attic, drawn up to his full height and snarling. His bared teeth gleamed in the moonlight creeping through the large windows and his eyes, storm blue, flashed with rage.

"I'm sorry, I was just looking for Nathan," she said hastily.

"I told you the attic is off limits!" he bellowed. "You have no right!" He lifted his hand, claws extended, like he was going to swipe at her.

Audrey cowered against the wall in fear. "Please, don't hurt me," she said, eyes wide.

The master froze, growling deep and low in his chest, but his hand lowered slightly. "Get out," he said, the quiet rage in his voice more terrifying than his shouting. Audrey straightened up, staring at him uneasily, and his eyes flashed again. "I never want to see you again. _Get out!_ "

Panicked, Audrey sprinted around him and out of the attic. As she charged down the stairs she could hear the master roaring above her, a vicious noise that sent chills down her spine. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she was shaking, more terrified than she'd ever been in her life.

"Audrey? What's going on?" Eleanor asked, leaning out of the door of her bedroom in her dressing gown.

"I can't do it, I can't stay here anymore," Audrey cried as she ran passed. She could hear Eleanor yelling at her but all her brain could focus on was the distant howling in the attic. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she raced down the sweeping entrance stairs and out the front doors of the manor.

The snow came up nearly to her knees but she forced her way through, down the long drive and towards the trees. She braced herself for the push of the tunnel but it never came as she sprinted through. Nothing stopped her and she reached the road without the slightest resistance. Clearly telling her to get out was permission enough to set her free. Not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth, she wrapped her coat tighter around her body and started running again, hoping that Hareshaw was closer than Bellingham had been.

A sudden howl split the night, coming from the woods off to her left, away from the manor. There was no way the master could've made it there so quickly, which meant it had to be wolves. Audrey picked up her pace but her soaking skirts tangled around her legs, slowing her down. One howl was joined by another, and another. The howls were closing in on her, getting closer with every struggling step she took.

A wolf burst out of the trees onto the dirt track in front of her and Audrey skidded to a stop. When she tried to backpedal she found a pair of wolves on the path behind her. Audrey turned in a slow circle, looking for an escape, but she was trapped. Six wolves were closing in on her from every direction, slowing tightening their circle around her and growling hungrily.

Audrey spotted a sturdy branch lying on the ground and she picked it up, holding it over her head, ready to strike. She wasn't going to go down without a fight. The lead wolf lunged at her and Audrey swung, catching it in the side of the neck and sending it sprawling in the snow. A second one snapped at her and Audrey missed, hitting the ground hard enough to snap her weapon in two. Her heart jumped up to beat a heavy tattoo in her throat as the wolves continued to close in on her. A wolf leapt through the air toward her, fangs bared -

A new howl, deeper and angrier than the others, joined the fray as a mass of dark hair tumbled through Audrey's vision. It batted the wolf aside with one large paw and then settled down in a protective stance in front of her, snarling. Audrey had to blink several times to be sure that what she was seeing was true: the master was crouched in front of her, snow matted in his fur as he stared down the wolves.

The wolves set on their new target, three of them jumping onto the master in a cluster. He howled as they clawed at him, wrestling them away and tossing them aside as if they weighed nothing. One of the wolves took the opportunity of distraction and leapt at Audrey, and she stabbed at it with the broken end of the branch. Its teeth caught her forearm before she managed to pierce the shoulder with the sharp end of the branch. It didn't even have time to recover before the master stepped in front of her, grabbing the wolf by the throat and throwing it. The wolf's body hit a tree with a sickening crunch.

The master bellowed at the remaining wolves, the sound shaking Audrey to her very bones. The wolves seemed to hesitate for a moment before turning and running back into the woods. Snarling, the master chased after them and the sound of yelping made Audrey cringe.

Audrey stood alone in the middle of the road, the unmoving bodies of three wolves in the snow around her. Her arm was screaming at her, the gouges dripping blood into the dirty snow, and she cradled her injured limb against her chest. She wanted to move, to start running for safety again, but she was in shock. Why had he come? Why had he saved her after driving her away?

It was only as the cold started to leach through her shock that Audrey started walking again. She had only made it twenty feet when a rustling in the trees made her freeze. If it was more wolves, she was done for. There was no way she could fight them off, not with the condition her arm was in. She was looking frantically around for a weapon when the branches parted and the master stumbled out into the path.

For a moment they simply stared at each other. Audrey was appalled to see that his fur was streaked with blood, most of it coming from a series of large gashes across his chest. There was also blood beneath his left eye, and a tear in his already tattered trousers revealed a pair of cuts oozing dark crimson. As the sky above began to lighten, the dark of night giving way to the steel gray of winter morning, she saw more and more injuries speckling his body.

"You're hurt," he said, his voice weak and quiet. He tipped his head to the side, his piercing blue eyes fixated on her arm. The master took two steps forward and then suddenly doubled over. His arms wrapped around his stomach as he shook, a mournful, pained howl parting his lips. Audrey made to help him but he threw out a hand to stop her, his eyes flashing. "Stay back!" he snarled.

Audrey stopped short and watched in awe. The master's body was twisting, convulsing. His legs buckled beneath him and he knelt in the snow. His face was curled up in pain and the noises escaping him could only be described as whimpers. As she watched, the fur disappeared into pale flesh, his limbs shortened and turned, emitting loud pops as they snapped into place. The muzzle retreated back into a square jaw, claws receded, ribs narrowed. The new figure straightened up and Audrey gasped.

"Nathan?"

"Audrey," Nathan whispered before he crumpled into the snow.

 

 


	19. Chapter Eighteen

"Nathan," Audrey said in alarm, rushing over to where he'd collapsed. He was lying facedown in the snow, wearing only the ragged trousers. She rolled him carefully onto his back and was startled by the red on his chest, smeared down from the vicious scratches that crossed his torso. His blue-gray eyes were unfocused as he squinted up at her.

"Miss Parker," he slurred. His eyes drifted to her arm and he frowned. "You're hurt."

"So are you," Audrey said. "Nathan, I don't understand."

"Go," he said. He patted the hand she set on his shoulder. "He let you go. You're free." Audrey frowned but his lips quirked up at the corner. "Go, I'll be fine. Go back home and be happy."

Audrey's heart leapt hopefully. She was free. She could go home. She stood up and looked down the road toward Hareshaw eagerly. After all this time, she was free to go. Audrey gathered up her frozen skirts and started walking to town. She had made it fifty feet when her steps slowed.

She stopped and glanced back over her shoulder. Nathan was still lying in the snow where she'd left him. Could she just leave him there? He had saved her life, but then there was also the fact that somehow it seemed that he was the same person who had taken her away from her family and entrapped her all this time. This might be her only chance to get away...

Sighing, Audrey turned and ran back to where Nathan was lying in the snow. He was slumped on his side, like he'd tried to get up and fallen. His eyes fluttered open when she dropped to her knees next to him. "Audrey," he said his brow furrowing.

"Come on, we need to get you back to the house," she said, grabbing his shoulders and helping him to sit up. "You're freezing, and you're going to bleed out if we don't get you taken care of soon."

"I'm fine," he said, shaking his head, but his movements were slow and lethargic. "It doesn't hurt."

"No, you're not going to die, not like this," Audrey said. She pulled his arm over her shoulders and wrapped her good arm around his waist. Nathan sagged awkwardly against her side as she helped him to his feet but he managed to keep his bare feet underneath him as they took their first unsteady steps forward.

Neither of them spoke as they made their way back toward the manor. Nathan grew progressively paler as they went, his wounds bleeding steadily and staining the muddy snow beneath their feet. Audrey's own head was beginning to spin by the time they finally reached the tunnel.

"Audrey!" Duke shouted from the other end of the tunnel. His eyes widened and he gestured for her to hurry. Audrey and Nathan staggered up the length of the tunnel until they finally reached him. "What happened?"

"Wolves," Audrey explained, staggering under Nathan's weight. "We've got to get him inside."

Duke grit his teeth, resolve in his eyes. Reaching out, he touched the blood striping down Nathan's chest. Audrey watched in awe as the blood soaked into his skin. Duke's silver eyes lit up like lanterns, casting shadows onto his face that cut his angular cheeks into sharp relief. "Will you be okay for a minute?" he asked, his voice a deeper, ragger timbre. When Audrey nodded, he scooped Nathan up in his arms as if he weighed nothing and took off running for the manor.

Clutching her bleeding arm to her chest, Audrey walked up the drive toward the manor. She had barely made it a few staggered feet before Duke was running back up to her. Without asking, he picked her up gently and ran up to the manor. "How is he?" Audrey asked as Duke cradled her against his chest on their way to the manor.

"Not well," Duke said grimly, the depth of his voice vibrating Audrey right to her core.

Once they had reached the manor, Duke carried Audrey into the first sitting room off the entrance hall. Nathan was stretched out across the settee near the fire, Eleanor and Garland busy at work with bandages and a basin of water that was already stained scarlet. Duke set Audrey in an armchair. "You're hurt," he said, taking in her bloody arm.

"I was bit," she answered. Duke's jaw was tight as he helped her to remove her shredded coat, revealing a set of deep gouges in her arm that went nearly down to the muscle. He cursed under his breath as he took her forearm, gingerly examining the wounds. Audrey watched spots of her blood disappear into his fingertips as he worked. "Should you be-?"

"I'll pay for it later," Duke said with a grimace. "But you're more important right now." Silencing her further questions with a short look, he gathered up a damp cloth and bandages from the pile beside the settee and set to work. Audrey's head spun as he carefully cleaned the wounds and she grit her teeth against the pain.

It was several long, agonising minutes later when Duke had finally finished cleaning, stitching, and bandaging her arm. The event had left Audrey feeling weak and shaky, but she couldn't stop staring at Eleanor and Garland's backs as they worked over Nathan. Through Eleanor, Audrey could see Nathan's legs stretched out across the settee, one of his pant legs torn off so they could get to the gouges in his thigh. Apart from that, though, she had no idea how he was doing.

"Audrey, what happened?" Duke asked. "Eleanor said she saw you running out of the manor, but how did you get past the tunnel?"

"He told me to leave," Audrey said, remembering with fear the raging beast that had loomed over her in the attic. How was it possible that that monster was the same man she had grown so fond of over the last few weeks? "He yelled at me to get out, and when I ran it didn't stop me."

"But Nathan, how did he get out there?" Duke asked.

Audrey frowned and glanced sideways at him. "You mean you don't know?"

"Of course not," Duke said. "Unless the master gave him permission to go after you, but that doesn't make any sense. Eleanor said she saw the master following you so why would he send Nathan as well?"

"No, I mean," Audrey paused, taking in the obvious confusion on her friend's face, "you don't know who he is?"

"None of them know," Garland said, sparing her a short look over his shoulder before going back to work.

"Know what?" Duke and Eleanor asked together.

Audrey stared at what she could see of Nathan through Eleanor. So he hadn't told anyone? He had kept his alternate identity a secret from them all, except apparently Garland. She still didn't understand how the master and Nathan were the same person, but it seemed that she had been brought in on a dark secret of Haven House.

Despite Duke's curious needling, Audrey stayed silent as she watched Eleanor and Garland patch up Nathan. After a while Duke's questions stopped and when Audrey looked over he was curled in the armchair, his face pained. "Duke?" she asked anxiously.

"I'm fine," he said. His voice had returned to its normal pitch and when he squinted at her his eyes were their normal pale silver again. "The effects are wearing off. I'll be fine in a few minutes."

Audrey reached out and took his hand with her uninjured one, and Duke gave her a grateful smile before it was chased away by another wince. She held his hand as he fidgeted and moaned until finally he stilled. His expression relaxed and his head drooped. "Duke?" she said nervously.

"He's just asleep," Eleanor said. "The power takes it out of him. He will sleep for several hours but he'll be fine when he wakes."

Audrey nodded and extracted her hand from his. "How's Nathan?"

"Weak but I think he will make it," Eleanor said, wiping her bloodstained hands on a towel. Garland was doing the same and for the first time since arriving on the grounds, Audrey got her first sight of Nathan. He was deathly pale, nearly as white as the heavy bandaging that covered half of his exposed skin. There were four cuts across his cheek and jaw that had been stitched shut, and a smattering of smaller cuts were left uncovered on his arms and chest.

Eleanor followed her gaze. "He's in quite a state. Did he take on those wolves singlehandedly?"

"Yes, he did," Audrey said because she didn't know how else to explain. How could she tell Eleanor that Nathan had been an enormous wolf-beast when he had done it, when she couldn't even make sense of it herself? "He saved my life."

Eleanor walked over and combed back Audrey's hair, her expression maternal. "You should get some rest, dear," she said. "You've had a difficult night and you need to heal."

Audrey wanted to stay in the sitting room but now that the adrenaline had worn off she was acutely aware of how cold she was, sitting there in her snow-soaked dress. She glanced uncertainly at the men, and she saw Garland's gaze soften slightly. "Sleep, Miss Parker," he said. "None of us will be going anywhere."

Eleanor offered her a hand and Audrey took it, allowing the older woman to pull her up and steer her to her bedroom. Morning sunlight was creeping through her windows but Eleanor hastily tugged the curtains shut, casting the room into darkness. Audrey looked down at her ruined dress and frowned. "I'm sorry about the dress," she said. "After all the work you put into it."

"I'm just glad you are safe," Eleanor said kindly, patting her cheek. She helped Audrey exchange the dress for a warm nightgown and then tucked her into the bed. Audrey settled her head down on the pillows, exhaustion pulling her eyelids steadily downward. Eleanor smoothed her hair back from her face and then turned for the door. "Goodnight, Audrey."

"Night, Eleanor," Audrey mumbled. The door had barely closed behind the older woman before Audrey drifted off into a restless sleep. 


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Although her sleep was plagued by images of gnashing teeth and shredded flesh, it was ultimately the pain that woke Audrey. She thrashed in her sleep and rolled onto her injured arm, jerking her abruptly from her nightmares with a yelp. Shoving herself onto her back, Audrey cradled the throbbing limb and blinked around the room. The light creeping beneath the curtains was still bright, so she hadn't slept the entire day away.

Immediately her mind went to the events of the early morning that had inspired her poor sleep. She clambered out of bed and pulled a dressing gown on over her nightgown. The manor was still and quiet as she made her way down to the entrance hall and then into the adjoined sitting room.

Garland was sitting sentinel in his chair, although the armchair where Duke had been sleeping was now unoccupied. Nathan was tucked beneath a blanket and his eyes fluttered open slightly at the sound of the door opening. Audrey couldn't fight the relief that swelled in her at seeing him conscious, of meeting that glorious blue-gray again.

"Audrey," Nathan said and the corner of his mouth turned up, contorting the scratches on his face.

"I'm going to go check on Duke," Garland said, standing up with a groan and slipping passed Audrey.

"Is Duke okay?" Audrey asked anxiously as she dropped into Garland's vacated seat.

"Worn out," Nathan said, sitting up. "He absorbed a lot more blood than he's ever done before last night, it took its toll. They woke him up long enough to get him to his room, but he'll probably sleep until tomorrow at least."

"And you?" Audrey asked, her eyes skating across the visible cuts and bandages on his arms.

"It doesn't hurt," he said with a slight sardonic smile. Audrey gave him a patronising look and he puffed a laugh that hastily turned into a raspy cough. When he had finally caught his breath again he said, "I will live, thanks to you."

"It was only fair, after you saved my life," Audrey replied. As they lapsed into silence, Audrey felt her emotions shift. Now that her worry over his safety had abated, something else rose up in its place; anger and hurt. "Nathan, you're the master. You - you're the one who locked my cousin up in that cellar, who took him away from me. You're the reason we're all trapped here."

Nathan cringed and averted his gaze, rubbing his lower lip in what Audrey had learnt was a nervous tic. "I will agree that it is because of me that we are all here, but I am not the same man that hurt your cousin."

"I saw you, Nathan," she said furiously. "I saw you change from him. All this time you've been playing the victim, lying to everyone. To me."

"I never lied to you, Audrey, I swear it," Nathan said, meeting her eyes again with an expression of pain and pleading. "Everything I ever told you is true. I am just as much a captive of the master as you, perhaps more so. While we might share a body, the master and I are not the same man."

"How is that possible?" Audrey asked sceptically.

"The master is all of the darkest parts of me brought to the surface," he said quietly. "All of my rage and hurt and pain given a form. When the sun goes down, he breaks free and takes control of me. I have very little control over his actions, and can do nothing more than suggest things to him. It is easier the closer to sunset or sunrise it is, when we are most equal, but even then he is stronger than me."

"I don't understand," she said, scowling. "I thought the lack of feeling was your curse."

"It is my curse," he agreed. "The master, that darkness was my own doing." He sighed wearily, his gaze drifting to the slow-burning embers in the fireplace. "To explain, I will have to start from the beginning. Before this all began I was an ordinary man of fortune, heir to this estate. I was twenty when I met a woman, a most extraordinary woman named Sarah Vernon."

"The portrait in your room," Audrey said.

Nathan nodded. "She was much like you; spirited, independent, and intelligent. We courted and later married, and then she bore me a son. We named him James. I was the happiest man alive when I was with them." His expression turned dark and for the first time Audrey saw something of the master in his face. "They were taken from me, murdered by a man named Byron Howard while I was away in London on business."

Audrey gasped. She wanted to say that she was sorry, but somehow the words felt weak and insignificant compared to the severity of his situation. Instead she reached over and took his hand. Nathan flinched slightly but then relaxed and wound his fingers through hers.

"The pain and anger, when I came home and found-" Nathan broke off, a catch in his voice. "I was furious. I could think of nothing but revenge. I was so consumed by my need for vengeance that I let myself become something else, something less than human. I became a monster.

"I was equal parts horrified and fascinated by my new power. I found that as soon as the sun set my body became that of a beast, a creature whose entire purpose for existence was to find and exact revenge upon the man who had killed my family. It became simple then to track him down, and in the dead of night I killed him.

"When I came back to myself the next day, I was horrified by what I had done. All of the rage had left me along with the beast and in the light of day I was left with nothing but my own guilt. So I retreated to my home, intent on living out my days in solitude where my newfound power could not harm anyone."

Audrey stared at their intertwined fingers, trying to process everything she had heard while Nathan's gaze was a heavy weight pressing down on her shoulders. There were a million questions and facts floating through her mind but it all came back to one thing. "You killed him?"

"Yes," he said, his voice firm and unrelenting. "He took my family from me. I regret that it was at my hands, but I do not regret that he is dead."

Part of her wanted to balk but at the same time she couldn't judge him too harshly. She couldn't imagine what she would do if she lost Dwight, and he was just her cousin. To lose not only his wife, but a child... She couldn't even begin to imagine that pain.

"But the curse," Audrey said, changing tracts. "That doesn't explain how the manor ended up cursed."

"The curse is my punishment for what I did," Nathan said. "I came back here, to hide, and there was someone waiting for me. A spirit of the forest, a beautiful woman named Mara. She said she came in the name of justice, that because I committed murder under her watch then I, and anyone who associated themselves with me, would be punished for our crimes. Punishments that reflect our sins."

"So you don't feel anything because-?"

"Because my crime was fueled by too much feeling," Nathan said. "I felt so much, so many emotions, that it was like a physical ache. She took that away from me and left me with nothing but my emotions. I hurt, every day, but I feel none of it. At least not physically."

"Nathan-" Audrey choked on her words, emotion welling up and blocking her throat. Her brain was spinning - wolf beasts and forest spirits and magic spells. She had been dealing with all of the unbelievable things that she had seen for the last few months but suddenly it was all too much. Add to it the ache of Nathan's story and she couldn't fight back the tears that burnt at the corners of her eyes.

Nathan frowned, his blue-gray eyes filling with sadness. "Audrey," he said gently. He lifted a hand and cupped her cheek. "I'm sorry, I did not mean to upset you."

"I'm sorry, it's just - " Audrey drew back, carefully extracting her hand from his. Nathan leaned back on his elbows, looking hurt, when Audrey stood up and took several hasty steps back. "It's just a lot to take in at once." She turned and started for the door.

"Don't leave!"

The shout caught her off guard, a deep, ragged growl, and Audrey froze. She looked back at Nathan and his expression was contrite. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to yell. It's close to sunset."

"He's coming?" she asked curiously. "The master?"

Nathan nodded, laying back down on the settee with his eyes closed. "It's close, very close," he said. "It's harder to hold him back, to keep him under control when sunset is so close."

"And he doesn't want me to leave?" Audrey asked, taking a few hesitant steps back into the room.

His eyes opened and landed on her, a look of intense openness in his gaze. "Neither do I."

Audrey shuffled in place and the tense line of her mouth softened slightly. "I suppose I do owe him a thank you for saving me," she said.

"It won't be pleasant," he cautioned her. "The transformation is rather gruesome, and all of my injuries will open up again."

"Then you need someone to tend to you," she said decisively. Although he tried to hide it, Nathan was smiling as she took the chair beside him again. "Does it hurt you, changing?"

"I don't feel it," he said with a one-sided shrug. "It makes me feel ill sometimes, like my insides are being turned upside down, and my head aches. I felt it the first time it happened, it was agony. I suppose in that way my curse is a blessing." The sardonic grin was chased away as he suddenly contorted, his muscles spasming.

"Nathan," she said in alarm, reaching for his shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Nathan snarled, baring his growing fangs. He batted her arm away and in the process scratched her wrist with the claws that were curving down over the tips of his fingers. Frightened, Audrey drew back on herself and watched as the transformation took control of him.

His skin darkened in patches, spreading as short, brown hair sprouted across his body. The bandages around his arms and torso ripped and fell away as his ribs expanded and the muscles in his arms thickened. There were a series of sickening pops as his joints twisted and his jaw stretched, forming a short, compact muzzle. He howled and snarled through the entire change, racked by spasms that tugged at his muscles.

It was several long minutes later when the worst of the contractions faded and he was able to lay back on the settee. "Nathan?" she asked tentatively. His gaze snapped to her, eyes the same stormy blue-gray, and he growled low in his throat. "Master," she corrected herself.

"You're still here," he said, eyeing her appraisingly. "I told you to leave."

"So I was supposed to leave you to die then?" she retorted. The master growled but didn't say anything. "I didn't come here to fight with you," she continued, wearily. "I just wanted to thank you. For saving my life."

The master scrutinised her thoughtfully. "You're welcome."

Audrey's eyes drifted down to the patches of red in his dark fur and she scowled. "You're bleeding again," she said. She picked up a towel from the stack of supplies left on the floor and dabbed gently at the wounds. The one on his chest looked inflamed and she tentatively touched the edge of it to check for heat.

A roar broke from the master and he shirked away from her. "That hurts!"

"I'm sorry," Audrey said, pulling her hand back. "I didn't realise - do you have the same condition as Nathan?"

"I feel nothing," he agreed. "Just you."

"Well those cuts need to be bandaged," she said. "I should probably go find Garland, have him do it."

"Wait," the master said as she made to stand. "I do not like him. I would rather you do it."

"Are you sure?" she asked uncertainly. "It will hurt." The master dipped his head in assent. Audrey nodded and picked up a roll of bandages. She was careful as she wrapped them around his injuries to not touch him as much as she could, but she couldn't stop her fingertips brushing through his fur as she moved. Sometimes he merely flinched, although whenever she touched near an injury he growled.

It was several long minutes later when she had replaced all of the bandages that had broken away. The master sat up on the settee, watching her appraisingly, and she had the strange sensation of prey being stalked by a predator. "You prefer him," he said. "Even though we are the same."

"He doesn't shout at me," Audrey pointed out. To her surprise the master didn't object. Audrey regarded him for a moment and then stood. "I'll be right back, I'm just going to run to the kitchens," she said, heading for the door.

"Why?" the master asked.

She glanced back at him from the doorway and smiled. "Because I think I owe you a dinner." 


	21. Chapter Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in new chapters, folks. I've been participating in Camp NaNoWriMo so my full focus has been fixated on that story instead of this one. I promise it's not abandoned or anything, I am still working on it and actually have the majority of the rest of the story planned out, just need to actually write it. Thanks for being amazing readers.

Audrey returned sometime later, pushing one of the kitchen carts with two bowls of steaming stew perched on top. When she entered the sitting room the master was perched on the edge of the settee, staring into the fire thoughtfully. He glanced up at her curiously.

"I hope you like stew," she said, lifting one of the bowls and holding it out to him. "It's all that was left in the kitchens."

The master accepted the bowl, the pads of his palms rough against her skin as he took it from her. After regarding the bowl curiously for a moment, he began lapping stew from the bowl like a dog. Audrey smiled to herself as she took a spoonful of the reheated stew. They ate in silence for a few moments as Audrey surveyed the creature in front of her.

Now that she was getting the chance to properly look at him, he was more humanoid than she remembered. The muzzle was short, barely an extension of his face, and he had normal, functional hands instead of paws. Many of the same scars were visible in his fur, including the trio that carved across the top of his face. He had the same prominent cheekbones and lean, compact build as Nathan, and most especially the same eyes. She couldn't help but think that if she had just given in and accepted one of those dinner invitations, it would've been all too obvious that he and Nathan were the same.

"Just ask your questions," the master said, meeting her gaze. "I know you have them."

"Are you really just his anger?" she asked curiously.

"I am Nathan," he said. "I am merely the parts of Nathan he chooses to pretend he does not have. Everyone has a dark side, some are just better at embracing that. Nathan likes to believe he is all righteous and good. That is why I exist."

"And there's no-"

Audrey had stopped but the master seemed to know exactly what she was going to say. "No way to get rid of me?" he finished for her. "To do that he would have to accept me. Nathan is stubborn and idealistic. He will never do it. After all, could you? What are your sins, Audrey Parker?"

"I lied," she said. The master glanced at her in surprise, lowering the soup bowl to his lap. "I've been thinking about it since I learned of the curse, and I think that's what it was. Before I came here, there was a man who was interested in me. He was - persistent, to say the least. I lied to him to escape, pretended that I felt things I didn't. I think that's what was happening to me before the curse stopped, why my appearance was changing. I pretended to be someone I wasn't, so the curse was making me into someone new."

"I am impressed," the master said. "It takes most people much longer to acknowledge their faults."

Audrey smiled, surprising herself by the flush of pleasure she felt at his approval. "I'm not most people," she responded teasingly.

"On that we agree," the master said. He drained the last of the stew from his bowl and set it aside. "So," he started, looking down at his knees, "this man who pursued you..."

"Was an insufferable, self-absorbed ogre," Audrey said. The corner of the master's mouth turned up in what could pass for a smile. Either way, he seemed pleased with her answer. Had he been jealous? He was part of Nathan, and she was sure Nathan felt something for her. Did that mean the master did as well?

"Why did you come after me?" she asked. The master cocked his head in confusion. "After you told me to leave, you came after me."

The master looked around the room furtively. "I do not know," he said. "I meant to let you go. I was angry. You should not have been in my room." He punctuated this sentence with a growl.

"And you should have told me the truth from the beginning, then I would have known not to come looking for Nathan," she said.

The master snarled again but didn't press the point. "I wanted you gone," he said. "But then as soon as you left, I -" he stopped and looked up to meet her gaze, his blue-gray eyes full of the same fiery intensity that Nathan so often fixed on her, "We couldn't bear to see you go."

"We?" Audrey asked, her heart beating more quickly.

"As I said, I am Nathan and he is me," the master said. "We feel and experience the same things only somewhat differently. I am as fond of you as he is."

Audrey's lips curled up in amusement. "You are also as forward as he is," she said.

"You have never complained before," the master said, one shoulder lifting in a shallow shrug. "As I recall, you prefer the honesty."

"That is true," Audrey agreed. A yawn snuck up on her and she hastily covered her mouth with a hand to hide it, but the master wasn't fooled.

"You are tired," he said. "It is late. You should rest."

Audrey nodded and stood, gathering the empty soup bowls and setting them back on the cart. "I am glad that you will be alright," she said. She started for the door but then paused in the frame. She turned back to find the master watching her intently. "I haven't forgiven you," she said plainly. "For the way you treated my cousin. But I am willing to try and be friends, if you would like."

"Understood," the master said, dipping his head in acknowledgement. Still, she couldn't miss the sudden spark in his eyes, a look of eagerness and triumph. "Good-night, Audrey."

"Good-night, master," she responded, and then left. She returned the cart to the kitchens and retired to her bedroom. It was deep in the night, and she changed into her nightgown - hanging the tattered remains of her Christmas gown in the wardrobe - before climbing into bed.

It had been an eventful evening. She had not expected to see the master, let alone have such an in-depth and civil conversation with him. She thought back over Nathan's story, of how he had come to be the way he is now. It was easier to understand him now, to know why he was so isolated and removed from everyone else in the manor. She had seen it, when he talked about the curse, the crippling guilt that he felt over their condition. He blamed himself for what had happened to them.

Audrey rolled over and saw _Utopia_ where it was sitting on the bedside table. Despite all of his pain and darkness, despite all of the horrible things that had happened to him, there was still so much kindness and thoughtfulness in him. He may be the master, but he was also Nathan, and she found that she still looked forward to his company.

A soft smile on her face, Audrey drifted off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

_English Channel_

For the second time in a matter of months, Dwight awoke to the sensation of the entire world tossing around him. It only took a fraction of a second from when his consciousness returned for the pain to hit him; throbbing circles of fire coming from different parts of his body. He felt weak and battered, like he'd been beaten and left for dead. But no, that wasn't right. What had happened to him?

The details came back in patches. A field of snow and mud. Screams. Gunshots. Private Cartwright's brains splattering across his face. Then the pain. First his shoulder, then his leg. He'd been shot. By a bullet that reversed course.

Dwight's eyes snapped open as the memory hit him with full force. The bullets had been changing direction, those nearest him altering their course so instead of hitting Nazis, they all came for him. How was that possible? It seemed like madness, and yet here he was, lying in a cot and riddled with gunshots.

"Hendrickson," a voice said, female this time. Not Lucassi, whose voice had been the last he'd heard before losing consciousness. An older woman stepped up beside him, dressed in the white uniform of a medical nurse. "You're damn lucky to be alive."

"Where'm I?" he asked, the words feeling heavy and thick on his tongue. Everything about him felt weak and tremulous, such a radical change from his normally solid body that he was afraid a gust of wind would do him in.

"You're headed home," the nurse responded. "Injuries like yours, you're no good out in the field anymore, and they don't have the supplies to keep you anyway. They've shipped you home to get you to a hospital. You're just lucky there was a ship headed out anyway or you wouldn't have made it this far. Seven gunshot wounds. I have no idea how you're not dead."

Dwight grimaced at the less than encouraging words. He had failed his men. The first bit of fighting they had seen since deployment, and he hadn't even lasted five minutes into the battle. He had been shot, and because he hadn't been there to help the injured, who knew how many more had been lost. Guilt washed over him.

It only grew worse when he realised that his greatest feeling over the news was hopefulness. He was going home. For him, the war was over. He would be back in London where he had grown up and lived his whole life. His mind went immediately to Audrey, trapped up north in the manor with that monster. He would be able to go to her, rescue her from that horrible place and bring her home.

"I'm coming, Audrey," he breathed, his head falling back into the thin pillow on the cot.

"I feel bad for whatever girl is waiting for you at home," the nurse said with a shake of her head. "She's got her work cut out for her taking care of you. It's going to be a while before you're up and around again, if you even make it back to London."

Dwight closed his eyes and tried not to let her words hurt him. He had to make it back to London and get better, because if he didn't then who would save Audrey from her terrible fate? There was no one to help her, no one else to rescue her. No one else in the world knew where she was or what had happened to her. It was all on his shoulders.

 


End file.
